Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to ask some questions today and to make a comment or two.
I listened thoughtfully to the member's comments regarding Bill C-76, the matter before us today for third reading. I found her remarks quite interesting.
I do have a couple of questions I would like to ask. The first question relates to the farm subsidies that are important to the people in my constituency. The second question relates to the health transfer. These are matters I addressed yesterday at report stage.
I am quite concerned about the long term implications on the prairie economy, particularly on those communities that are affected by the elimination of the Crow benefit as a result of this legislation. It has been estimated that each delivery point on the prairies served by the Western Grain Transportation Act will lose approximately $1 million annually as a result of this legislation.
Within my constituency are some 40 to 45 elevator points that could be classified in this category. This means that the farm communities in my constituency will lose $40 million to $45 million a year in funds that are currently in those communities. For example, $1 million every year out of the town of Glaslyn is quite significant.
This is the first question I want to put to the hon. member opposite. In any of her discussions with her colleagues, whether they be members of the cabinet or just members of her caucus about support for this bill or in any of the research she has done, has she seen or investigated any reviews that look at the implication of the removal of the subsidy on the farm communities of western Canada?
This money is supposed to be replaced by investments for value added production. I wonder if she knows of any study that has been done of where the investment capital is coming from to support the value added production on the prairies?