Mr. Speaker, I can tell you what we want. We want consistency.
I was reading a pamphlet from the election period. It happens to be one of mine. Perhaps that is why I was reading it. We said all along during the negotiations for GATT that we would be replacing article XI 2(c) with appropriate and equivalent tariffication.
We were raked over the coals incessantly, consistently, persistently by members like the one opposite who said that that was an unworkable option, that it would not work, that we were trying to destroy the industry.
Perhaps I could read just a brief bit here. It states: "All of the other political parties are supporting a contradictory trade position. They are calling for the elimination of export subsidies by other countries but they want to strength article XI 2(c) which permits Canada to impose import quotas. Reformers are asking, what will the other parties do if they are faced with signing a GATT agreement, which includes tariffication of access restrictions? What will they do?"
I fought incessant battles in my own riding because we said we would prepare farmers for the 21st century. We said: "Let's not kid ourselves". One of the stories I get now from my farmers back home where I have a lot of supply management is: "At least you told the truth during the election and not only that at least I can trust you to plan for the future". They feel very let down that they were promised something that was undeliverable during the campaign by the Liberal Party. Now they are having to try to readjust mid-course, midstream in that river I was talking about. They are nervous now about what the next thing might be.