Mr. Speaker, a working group of senior executive officers and farmer representatives in the western grains industry has arrived at a basic consensus about what should be done with respect to government owned hopper cars, car allocation procedures and the role of the Canadian Wheat Board in transportation.
The report will be discussed at various farm organization meetings over the winter. Until farmers have had an opportunity to understand and comment on the recommendations, it would be premature to make a full or final decision with respect to the government's response to the report.
The consensus achieved by this group is certainly remarkable in itself. Only a few years ago many people would have thought it would be impossible for such a consensus to be reached by such a divergent group. It is a package involving a balance of tough but creative compromises and it has to be looked at as a whole, as a package.
The government will respond to this report in early 1996 and is proud of its record of consultation with stakeholders. This is the way we operate and this issue will be treated the same as all the others.