Mr. Chair, in response to the member's question, we explained that earlier. I would ask the member to go back and look at Hansard rather than take the time tonight to give an explanation that has already been made.
It is an important area and we are certainly interested in seeing slaughter capacity increase and move ahead so that our slaughter industry has the ability to handle the full amount of cattle in Canada. At the moment it is estimated by the industry and the government that the current known expansion of slaughter capacity will increase slaughter from about 80,000 a week currently to 95,000 a week by the end of 2005.
That is down the road, yes, but if this happens there would no longer be a surplus of fed cattle. We would still have a surplus, though, if that was all the slaughter capacity we had of non-fed cattle, that being cull cows and bulls. Those are the estimates that we have on the table at the moment. We recognize that we have to deal with the cull cow issue as well and we are attempting to do that.
There has been much made by members here tonight of specific remarks made by certain members in the governing party relative to the United States. I think it is high time that rhetoric was laid aside. Does anybody paying attention here tonight really believe that President Bush or President Clinton before him or the administration of the United States is going to take the words of one or two comments of Canadians and leave the border closed as a result? Does anyone actually believe that? I am surprised to think anyone believes that.
I would ask the member to answer this question. If that is the reason for the border to have been closed, which is what members on the other side are saying tonight, then what was said to Japan or Korea for those countries to close their borders? Let us have arguments that make sense and not be foolish. The fact of the matter is that it has nothing to do with the issue and members know it.