Madam Speaker, the hon. member's interest in and concern for the Canadian Wheat Board is noted and appreciated. I am pleased to have this opportunity to respond to his remarks in greater detail than I would be able to do during the course of Question Period.
The member makes reference to the most recent election of the Canadian Wheat Board's producer advisory committee and the proper interpretation to be placed upon the results of that election. The committee consists of 11 members. In the most recent election results 10 of those 11 members were identified very much as pro-board candidates who opposed any weakening of the Canadian Wheat Board, opposed the concept of dual marketing.
While this election was not a direct plebiscite about marketing systems, and while the overall producer participation in the voting was only about 40 per cent, I think it is fair to say that the vote results show an important level of producer support for the Canadian Wheat Board. I do not think it would be fair to say that the vote is the be all and end all. I do not think it would be fair to say it is the absolute last and ultimate word. It is one very important piece of evidence which is clearly supportive of the Canadian Wheat Board.
Over the course of the last year or so a controversy has been brewing among western Canadian farmers about the Canadian Wheat Board and this notion of alternative marketing systems. It is a subject upon which different groups of farmers hold profoundly different opinions. So far there has not been a rational, full, frank, objective opportunity for farmers to discuss all of those alternatives and to have a face to face analysis of the situation in a frank and logical way.
That is why I plan to carry through on a commitment that I have made to provide farmers and all interested stakeholders with that full, objective, logical, rational forum and mechanism within which to examine the alternatives, have all of those alternatives subjected to examination and cross-examination so there can be that full analysis with the full participation of the farmers. I am confident that in that process the Canadian Wheat Board will do very well.