Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport.
In the government's original offer for the sale of grain hopper cars it said it would consider all proposals put forward for the acquisition of the cars and that the government would take into account the interests of producers, shippers and railways.
Since then the committee was told yesterday that the transport department has already protected the interests of the railways in an agreement signed between the federal government and the railways in 1993, which is said to give the railways not only the right of first refusal in terms of any sale but also a virtual veto over who can get the cars if the railways decide not to exercise that first right.
Can the minister tell the House and the bidders from farmer groups why their bids must be subject to that previously secret arrangement? Will he table the federal government railways operating agreement so everyone can know what the rules really are?