Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question and his comments.
I say at the outset that many, if not all my constituents, are going to be surprised to see me stand up and answer a question on prairie farmers and the Canadian Wheat Board, but as you know the duties of a parliamentary secretary are many and varied, particularly during the adjournment debate.
The Canadian Wheat Board Act and Canadian Wheat Board regulations, as the hon. member knows, state that any export of wheat and barley requires an export licence issued by the Canadian Wheat Board. The law is very clear on this point.
The Customs Act, administered by Revenue Canada, is applied in support of the Canadian Wheat Board program, requiring exporters shipping wheat and barley to the United States to first obtain an export licence. It is very clear.
Proceeds from the sales of the unauthorized exports are not deposited into the Canadian Wheat Board pooling accounts. Therefore, when this occurs, producers who comply with the wheat board export program receive no benefit and are hurt by the resultant loss of the potential export opportunities engendered by the legal freelancers, as pointed out by the hon. member.
Within the democratic system of government in Canada there are other ways to work for change without deliberately engaging in unauthorized and illegal activities which may create unnecessary problems with the management of our international trade relations.
The western grain marketing panel process was put in place so that grain farmers, industry and other shareholders, could have an opportunity to participate in a number of grassroot forums to discuss the current grain marketing system, including the Canadian Wheat Board.
On behalf of the minister of agriculture, I would advise those who are dissatisfied with the current marketing system to participate fully in the western grain marketing panel and its process to improve the system and to do what the hon. member is suggesting is a more orderly method of conducting business.