Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to ask a question of the member who during his remarks placed a considerable amount of emphasis on agricultural issues, particularly the elimination of the grain freight subsidy which the budget and the bill bring forward.
The single most devastating element of the budget is the elimination of the Crow benefit, the transportation obligation of the government with respect to ensuring that we have agricultural exports of grain.
The member and the government are aware that regardless of what diversification occurs on the prairies and regardless of what value added industries are in place, anywhere from 60 per cent to 80 per cent of grains grown on the prairies will remain for export. As a result the increase in costs for freight will be substantial and the reduction of income for farmers and the communities they support will be substantial.
I know the government has spent some time in calculating how it would eliminate the subsidy and save the departments of transport and agriculture some money. I wonder if the member has seen any analysis or evaluation that points to or substantiates the evidence the government says is available concerning the long term implications of the withdrawal of the Crown benefit from the prairie economy. Has the member seen any analysis, evaluation or study regarding what the elimination of the subsidy will mean to the prairie economy?