Thank you, Mr. Chair, and welcome, Minister.
My question relates to the Farmer Rail Car Coalition and the disposal of the 12,600 hopper cars. You know my view, Mr. Minister; it is that the new government has reneged on the agreement as it was with the FRCC. I would state at the beginning that it really doesn't surprise me, because Transport Canada, in my view after watching them over 25 years, has a history of being much more sympathetic to railways than to primary producers. That's under various political parties, including my own. I say much more sympathetic.
I have several questions on the FRCC. You have indicated that in the new arrangement there would be a reduction in freight rates under the revenue cap, and those figures are in various statements you have made. Can you give us the exact figure?
Secondly, the CTA in their document—which is not officially released, and I'm hoping you will release it—has stated that the charges applied for maintenance under the cap were $4,329, when the actual cost for the maintenance to the railways was $1,686. That leads me to believe the railways have been gouging—and I use the word gouging strongly—the prairie producer community since 1992 to the tune of $33 million per year. Are you going to be doing anything to recoup those moneys from the railways and return them to primary producers?
Thirdly and finally on that point, concerning the replacement of cars in the new arrangements it's unclear what the government is going to do about replacing the rolling stock of hopper cars as we go down this road. I'm wondering whether the government is considering taking on the responsibility themselves for replacing that rolling stock.
This is addressed to the infrastructure individual. The prairie grain road program that was put in place as a result of the loss of the Crow benefit ended in March. The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities tells me there are a number of projects in the mill that can't be completed because the program ended in March. I'm wondering what the status of that program may be. You might not have that information today, but you can get back to me on it. That's my question.