Mr. Speaker, the Liberals claim that they have reformed the grain handling and transportation system. They are oh, so wrong.
Witness after witness at the agriculture committee hearings and transportation hearings stated that the only way to fix the broken system was to introduce true commercial accountability. The Liberals have ignored this advice.
Almost every witness at committee stated that the deal negotiated in secret between the Canadian Wheat Board and its minister would not increase commercial accountability and would increase the control of the Canadian Wheat Board over grain transportation.
This is exactly opposite to the recommendations made by the government's own experts. With this so-called reform package, the Liberals have guaranteed that the grain handling and transportation system will fail again as it did during the 1993-94 and 1996-97 crop years. Once again farmers will be forced to pay for Liberal inadequacies.