Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the member for Charleswood St. James—Assiniboia for identifying for his government a potential $112 million saving to farmers on grain transportation. Today's debate is exactly about how to get more money into the hands of farmers, particularly those who are especially suffering in the area of export commodities.
In addition to making grain transportation more of a commercial contract based system, would the member consider advocating to his government the reduction of the four cent federal excise tax on fuel and lowering user fees, especially in the case of the Canadian Grain Commission, or not increasing those fees to cover its deficit?
Finally, to help farm incomes greatly he could advocate a voluntary Canadian Wheat Board so that farmers who want to form a co-op, which in essence is what the Canadian Wheat Board is, specific to their products, in this case durum wheat, could add further value and the value added money would stay with farmers producing durum wheat?
Would he comment on those ideas and indicate whether he would support them?