Mr. Speaker, if there has been an agreement it does not mean that it will be ratified, unfortunately. That means that there has been an agreement at the level of the negotiators and if we want to stop the strikes, if we want to ensure the movement of grain, we have to pass this law. Ratification may take a number of weeks. It may be rejected by the workers. What we want to stop is the movements that have been taken by the strikers in blocking the movement of grain. I am sure farmers in the west understand that situation.
The Canadian Wheat Board has revealed that it has lost sales worth millions of dollars because the delivery of the grain could not be ensured. At present, unless the law is passed the delivery of grain cannot be ensured.
If parliament does not authorize the government to force workers back to work, we might lose further contracts abroad.
This in turn would cause job losses in Canada, and tarnish our international reputation in a world where prosperity depends on foreign trade.
Increased tensions on the picket lines have resulted on occasion—