Mr. Speaker, the minister of agriculture wants to sell 13,000 government hopper cars to producers. Individuals from the transport department have stated that the railways under the current operating agreement have right of first refusal which means they can match any offer put on the table and the railways own the hopper cars.
The SEO proposal has failed. The producer coalition is crumbling. Will either the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food or the Minister of Transport please make it crystal clear to any groups interested in buying the hopper cars that the railways clearly have the final say as to who purchases these cars?