Mr. Chair, I have one question for the witnesses. I would say that I certainly agree with Mr. Martin on the fact that the champagne corks will be popping south of the border. We've seen all kinds of statements from the U.S. wheat growers association and others about how happy they are with the government because it's doing away with single-desk selling under the Canadian Wheat Board.
The Canadian Wheat Board has given farmers an advantage the Americans wish they had.
This minister is serving up the Canadian Wheat Board on a silver platter to the Americans. We have to ask who the minister is really working for. It's obviously not Canadian grain producers, because we're giving our advantage away. It has been challenged 14 times by the U.S., and we've won every single time.
Mr. Martin is absolutely right. We're giving it up and we're not even getting anything in return. For those who think you will just be able to hop in your truck and drive across the border to deliver your grain over that 49th parallel, I think.... Howard Midgie is here and I think he could tell you that you're just not going to be able to drive down in a fleet of trucks and happily smile and dump your grain. There will be some serious push-back from the Americans.
My question to the witnesses is on this particular may/shall business. If that wording was changed to “may”, would it really make any difference to this particular section of the agreement? It is related to the North American Free Trade Agreement. We've basically already given away our rights under that agreement, as I see it.
I guess the other point, talking about giving away our rights, is that once the Canadian Wheat Board is gone, there are some who think we'll be able to get it back with a future government down the road. That's not possible under the various trade agreements. Once it's gone, it's gone forever. This is an historic piece of legislation that I think could be called the sellout of Canadian farmers into the future. There is no way to re-implement it, as I understand it, under international trade law.