Agriculture Committee on Sept. 17th, 2009

[Jim Smolik]

I want to thank the committee for the opportunity to appear today.

To Mr. Bellavance's comments, I think it would be important that you offer to invite Transport Canada here to address some of his questions. I think they're good questions, but currently this is not under our jurisdiction.

Again, just to make sure that everyone is clear, producer car usage is increasing. As Mr. Hoback has made clear, they're an important part in his area as well. We are seeing some of that shifting. I think that's why it's very important for this committee to continue to look at ways of keeping those sidings open on behalf of the producers.

At the Grain Commission, we'll do what we can as far as placing cars is concerned, allocating those cars to producers, but we have no authority beyond that—just to make that very clear.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Okay, thank you.

Just before we close, Mr. Shipley has a question.

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

I think it's just for direction. There has been a lot of good discussion, considering that it all happened really quickly. With Mr. Merrifield's intervention, I think that gave some time.

Quite honestly, we need some direction from you in terms of giving us something written. I know you didn't have time for a written presentation, but if we could get some of those requests or recommendations that would have come from you, had you had longer—because this thing came up very quickly—I think that would be very beneficial. It would allow us, then, to have that format.

That's an opening that I would take from Mr. Merrifield, the minister, in fact, of getting that time. It's not long, when you think about 60 days, or with this, 90 days, in terms of the three years if the regulations were changed.

I'll just leave that, Mr. Chair. I think that's what you were referring to. It would be very beneficial for us as a committee, and in fact for the minister, to help where we can on such short notice.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much, Mr. Shipley.

Mr. White.

[Rick White]

I just want to finish by thanking you again for the opportunity to speak to you today.

As a quick reminder in closing, we are very thankful for the railway service review that is under way right now. It is very important to growers. We are very much looking forward to the results and recommendations from the panel that is going to be named soon and will be working on rail service issues over the winter, and we expect a report to come out on that in the spring.

We are watching it very closely as growers, and we hope this committee will help us keep an eye on that as well. It's one thing to come up with recommendations, but once those recommendations come, they need to be implemented before they're any good to anyone. We're going to need some help getting those recommendations implemented where the rubber hits the road, and we're trying to get that rail service up to snuff for the benefit of our growers.

Thank you for now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Hallick.

[Jim Hallick]

On behalf of SARM, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to appear here today. Certainly if we can be helpful in some suggestions, they will be forthcoming.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much for coming as well, to all of you. We appreciate it. We've heard a lot today, but I think we're going to hear a lot more of this, and we hope to hear a lot more about this issue in the coming months.

We will adjourn until September 29.