Mr. Speaker, that answer is not what we are hearing from farmers. I will give an example that reflects the ongoing struggle of suppliers and farmers.
The two big railway companies, CN and CP, earn far more from handling grain than they should according to the decisions made by the Canadian Transportation Agency under the Western Grain Transportation Act.
Western farmers have no alternative to moving their grain by rail and we do not have an alternative on Vancouver Island. It is clear that the rail companies are taking advantage of this lack of competition.
The rail revenue cap on grain freight is the only remaining regulatory discipline to ensure fairness for farmers, but it is based on outdated cost figures from 1992, which is nearly 20 years ago. Things are very different today.
More important, more than 1,000 grain elevators have closed since 1992. Railway companies have benefited from such consolidation to reduce their own operating costs, but the savings have not been passed along to farmers.
When will the government order an immediate costing review to ensure that the railway freight rates are decided fairly and accurately using today's actual cost? This should not only apply to prairie farmers but also to farmers on Vancouver Island. Companies should not be able to gouge suppliers and farmers. They have to have fair rates. We need these farmers to stay in business.