Mr. Speaker, prairie farmers received the news of the government's intention to introduce grain transportation reform with mixed emotions. Certainly farmers are pleased, as I am, with the freight rate reduction, but there are unanswered questions.
Why did the government take so long to make this announcement? Why is there still no legislation before the House? Why will the bill look so different than the recommendations of the Estey and Kroeger reports, which asked for a complete commercialization of the grain transportation industry? Why is the government delaying commercialization of grain transportation?
Farmers, grain companies and the railways all agree that a commercialized system of grain transportation would result in lower freight rates. Why would the government want to withhold further freight rate reductions by paying lip service to the commercialization of grain transportation in the west?