Mr. Speaker, I am happy to respond to the hon. member for Malpeque. I feel some affinity knowing that he also has provided for his livelihood. He also chews gum like I do and he forgets to do up his jacket like I do. I do feel some affinity for the hon. member.
I am also very happy to respond to his question because I think living in western Canada I am closer to some of the issues that he is talking about. I would like to just remind the hon. member that you cannot have it both ways. I know that his government was committed to a referendum or a producer vote of whether there should be a continental barley market. I favoured that when he favoured it. That was before the decision was made that there not be a continental barley market.
The hon. member and his government have changed their minds since the court ruling has been reversed. In fact, the continental barley market was ruled illegal. I have not changed my mind. Neither has my party. We still believe that producers should be in the driver's seat and make these decisions.
The hon. member on the other side is saying that as long as things are going the way my personal philosophy dictates, I am happy to put producers in the driver's seat. But as soon as my own views and the views of producers begin to differ, then I want to have control. I want to politicize this thing. I do not want to let go of the administrative control of the Canadian Wheat Board.
I am saying to the hon. member that he cannot have it both ways. You are either going to trust producers or you are not going to trust them.
I would also tell the hon. member that I spoke recently to an organization with which I know he is quite well acquainted, the local chapter of the National Farmers Union. We discussed the advisory council and it was of the same opinion as I am. In fact, this advisory board is a rather useless organization because it has no impact whatsoever as long as the wheat board is controlled by the Government of Canada and the political process rather than the producer, grassroots, bottom up process.
I thank the hon. member for his questions. I hope I have shed a little light on where we are coming from on this side of the House in trying to solve the problems of producers by trusting them rather than taking over the decision making process from them.