Mr. Speaker, when the minister of agriculture appeared in front of the agriculture subcommittee on grain transport it was strictly do as I say, not do as I do. He said to prepare for the future. As our glorious leader on this important challenge, he then retired to the rear and complained about his administrative duties: how to make a payout, to whom, why, when and for what land. Such problems.
He avoided any discussion of the long term transport decisions already inflicted on agriculture by his government: no Crow payments August 1; branch line deregulation by January 1; full rate deregulation by 1999; decisions that will increase freight rates dramatically as rates rise to those of other products and U.S. freight rates.
With that much bad news facing us in the trenches no wonder our little general could not bring himself to look at or even alert the troops. What vision, what courage, what a total disappointment.