Thank you very much.
Thank you to our presenters.
I would like to start off by noting that in the communities I represent and in the province I come from there are many people very concerned about these changes. In fact, Churchill, one of the communities I represent, will lose jobs as a result of this so-called streamlining, which is being sold as a great idea. When jobs are lost in any community, and arguably in isolated northern communities, those kinds of jobs rarely come back. Of course, these are jobs that did important work to ensure the quality and consistency of our product at a specific time and point in the export chain, something that not only benefits producers but also the Canadian brand that we've all come to be so proud of.
Winnipeg will also be losing jobs as a result. Unfortunately, no one from the government has been able to say how many, but there is significant concern that there will be a domino effect once the inward inspection employees are gone. Thunder Bay and Vancouver are where the bulk of the jobs will be lost right off the bat.
It's difficult for communities like ours to see this as a good news story because it simply isn't, both on the job loss front and also in the kind of deregulation that will chip away at a proud Canadian brand.
With regard to inward inspection, clearly this is a very important part of the work that the Grain Commission has done, but it's also a very critical point in securing the kind of quality and consistency that Canadian farmers hope to have at all times. We're wondering if, in your deliberations, you took into account the COMPAS report, particularly recommendation number 4 around optional inward inspection and ensuring that there be optional inward inspection going forward—once again with an attempt to ensure the best kind of quality and consistency.