Ralph Goodale

[Canada Grain Act, September 22nd, 1994]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-51, an act to amend the Canada Grain Act and respecting certain regulations made pursuant to that act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[Canadian Wheat Board Act, September 20th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, unlike some hon. members across the way who spent the summer in name calling and personal vilification, I spent the summer consulting with farmers, farm organizations and a number of others about the issue the hon. member has mentioned.

I have received from those farmers and farm organizations a broad list of recommendations and ideas about how our grain marketing, handling and transportation system can be modernized to maximize its throughput capacity and to put farmers in the position of maximizing their marketing opportunities.

This fall I will be formalizing that process in a way to ensure that all farmers have all the necessary information, facts and figures they require so they may have further and final input into the government's decision-making processes about these issues.

[Grain Transportation, September 20th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the group of industry executives I have been meeting with during the course of the summer have focused on a broad range of issues to try to deal with the challenge of throughput through all our export facilities.

We have dealt with, at least in part, the issue of grain car allocation but obviously that is nobody's first choice in the system. We want to expand the capacity of the system and the throughput of the system. We will be introducing legislation this fall in the House to address some of those issues. Other reforms are under way already in an administrative manner.

The good news in the system is that we have a huge volume of grain to move. We hope our system will have the capacity to handle it, but given the volume and the diversity of the particular crop there may be a requirement for some form of allocation as we go through the crop year.

I have undertaken to the industry to monitor the allocation process as it is implemented to be sure it is fair to all players in the system including those who have reservations about it, namely the smaller shippers. I want to make sure they are treated fairly.

[Grain Transportation, September 20th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier in response to similar questions, the future form or structure of the GTA is certainly a topic the government has under review as we deal with a variety of very important agricultural transportation issues in the country.

I would point out though that during the course of the summer I have had a repeated series of meetings with not only the existing GTA but all major players in the Canadian western grain handling and transportation system to ensure that they are focused upon the huge challenge of moving a very large and very diversified crop this year through export positions into the most lucrative available export markets.

I am pleased to say that in comparison to this time last year we have achieved a 40 per cent increase in the number of hopper cars in the grain car fleet in the country. We anticipate in the month of October that we will see unloads at the port of Vancouver perhaps twice as high as last year and unloads at the port of Thunder Bay 50 per cent higher than last year.

[Canadian Wheat Board Act, September 19th, 1994]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-50, an act to introduce a bill entitled an act to amend the Canadian Wheat Board Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[Department Of Agriculture And Agri-Food Act, September 19th, 1994]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-49, an act to amend the Department of Agriculture Act and to amend or repeal certain other acts.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[Department Of Natural Resources Act, September 19th, 1994]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-48, an act to establish the Department of Natural Resources and to amend related acts.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[Dairy Farming, June 14th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to acknowledge the very hard work on the BST issue that was done earlier this spring by the standing committee of agriculture of this House.

On the precise issue of licensing or the matter of whether to issue a notice of compliance, I would advise the House that issue is fully and entirely within the jurisdiction of the Minister of Health. I know the Minister of Health will be making her decision in accordance with all the applicable laws and regulations in due course and that matter is entirely within her purview.

With respect to the government's specific response to the recommendations of the standing committee, I have not had the opportunity yet to consider those recommendations with my Cabinet colleagues but I do expect to have that opportunity

soon. While I cannot absolutely guarantee it, I would hope to be able to provide the House with the necessary response under the rules of the House hopefully before the House adjourns on June 23.

[Transportation Subsidies, June 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, in the course of the last several weeks I have been in touch with probably 30 or 35 farm organizations across this country, including a very large number in western Canada, inviting them to join with me in the common cause to develop for the future of our industry in Canada a well thought out, well prepared game plan so that we can approach the turn of the century in Canadian agriculture with confidence that our

industry will be well prepared to tackle not only the domestic marketing opportunities we have but also those internationally.

In the process of that development of the long term vision for Canadian agriculture, including the western Canadian grains industry, I will be looking for the useful, constructive advice of all of the players and all of the stakeholders who want to have a part to play in developing that plan for the future, including not only the farm organizations and the provincial governments across this country which are vitally interested but every member of this House, including the Reform Party if it has constructive observations to offer.

[Agriculture, June 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is at least in part because of the great complexity of this issue that we intend to take the necessary time in order to consider all points of view and arrive at a very considered judgment as to what any future reform measures ought to be.

The hon. member has touched upon some of the complexities. There are many others. That is why the Minister of Transport and I have repeatedly said that we have processes under way already. There will be additional processes started later this year and continued through the fall and winter to hear all of the stakeholders who are involved in this very complicated and difficult matter. We will make sure that all points of view are taken into account. When the Government of Canada makes a decision with respect to transportation reform, it will make sure all of the issues are appropriately and fully addressed.