Mr. Speaker, let me start by pointing out that I think it is important to put into context the whole debate about back to work legislation, the shutdown of the railway system and best offer arbitration.
Let me do so by pointing out that Canadian farmers are probably the best farmers in the world. They are the most productive and the most efficient. If it were just on that basis they had to make their living everything would be fine; they would be extremely prosperous and the country would benefit as a whole. However there are all kinds of other issues that raise their head and stand in the way of farmers actually being able to earn a proper living.
One of them is the trade war that seems to be ongoing with the U.S. and Europe. At the same time we have huge government debts and deficits that contribute to high input costs, high taxes and high interest rates which all conspire to make it very difficult for Canadian farmers to compete particularly against Americans.
Meanwhile we have farm institutions like the Canadian Wheat Board and the transportation system that are in desperate need of reform. There is tremendous pressure on the wheat board to change, not only from Americans, our competitors, but from inside, from people who actually support the wheat board. They want to see change. The hon. member for Vegreville has been at the forefront of pushing for a democratic wheat board elected by farmers and with farmers on the board. That makes sense to me.
I want to talk for a moment about the history of the transportation system in Canada. Even when it is not shut down by a strike it is at best inefficient and slow. I do not know how many calls I have received over the last year and a half from people asking: "Why are there no cars at my elevator? What happened to my grain as it disappeared down the track?"
We need Bill C-262. There is no question in my mind. It is one thing the government can do to bring to an end the problem we face today. As fate would have it, we are debating Bill C-262 on a day when we have a rail strike in the country. It will also provide a long term solution.
I encourage the government across the way to set aside partisan differences, to consider what is for the greater good and to consider farmers across the country. Actually the unions and the employers will benefit by this type of legislation, by best offer selection arbitration. We encourage the government to set that aside and to join with Reform today, the hon. member for Lethbridge, to bring the whole issue to an end by supporting Bill C-262 and by bringing some sanity back into the transportation system.