Evidence of meeting #23 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was railways.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Ian McCreary  Farmer, As an Individual
Brian Otto  Director, Western Barley Growers Association
Pierre Gratton  President and Chief Executive Officer, Mining Association of Canada
Brendan Marshall  Director, Economic Affairs, Mining Association of Canada
Mark Hemmes  President, Quorum Corporation
Peter Xotta  Vice-President, Planning and Operations, Port Metro Vancouver
Robert Ballantyne  President, Freight Management Association of Canada
Roger Larson  President, Canadian Fertilizer Institute
Garnet Etsell  Executive, British Columbia Agricultural Council, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Humphrey Banack  Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

9:20 p.m.

Executive, British Columbia Agricultural Council, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

Garnet Etsell

Yes, it's really critical. The livestock situation can't wait until 2016. That has to be dealt with now.

9:20 p.m.

Conservative

Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON

That doesn't necessarily deal with long-term structural changes—

9:20 p.m.

Executive, British Columbia Agricultural Council, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

9:20 p.m.

Conservative

Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON

—to the Canada Transportation Act, so that's why I say I think that input informs us right now.

I think earlier we had a witness who suggested, for example, that a question of interswitching could be something in that same review later on, but whether that's extended across the country, and what that could possibly mean.... There are certain questions, I think, that are sort of better put in that.

9:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley

Be very quick.

9:20 p.m.

Conservative

Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON

I'll leave it at that, Mr. Chair. I don't think I need to go any further. I think I've made my point, and I think our witnesses understand the approach the government's trying to take with that.

We'd appreciate your additional comments that could fall within the scope of what we're doing here today.

Thank you.

9:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley

Thank you very much.

I want to thank the witnesses again for hanging around and then coming in.

Actually, this wraps up our witness list. Thank you very much.

I also want to say, though, to the committee, considering that we kind of got behind about an hour and a quarter or an hour and a half today, we're now within five minutes of being on time. You have been really important in making that happen, and I very much appreciate it.

We have some new business to do in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]