Ralph Goodale

[Grain Transportation, June 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the government has indicated that this issue is very high on its agenda for action in the coming months.

In addition to some of the issues referred to by the hon. gentleman in his question, we also have some important considerations to take into account with respect to the impact of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, especially the new GATT which is to come into effect in 1995. That is a most recent matter that comes to bear on the situation with some very direct consequences that we have to take into account.

The hon. member may rest assured that he and his colleagues, and most especially farmers across western Canada, will see a very vigorous, active agenda on the subject in the time between now and this time next year.

[Grain Transportation, June 3rd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the issues to which the hon. member is referring are under active examination at the present time.

As he will know, the previous government had established a consultative and advisory process, including an examination of transportation efficiencies or inefficiencies which was conducted by the Grain Transportation Agency and a study being conducted by an independent organization known as the Producer Payment Panel to examine the possibility of different methods of payment of the Crow benefit under the Western Grain Transportation Act.

My colleague, the Minister of Transport, and I have received a copy of the efficiency study conducted by the Grain Transportation Agency. We are awaiting the final report of the Producer Payment Panel with respect to alternate methods of payment.

We have indicated that while those processes were started by a previous government, and therefore we are not necessarily bound by the outcome of those various studies and recommendations, we will obviously be interested to see what those studies produce. We will consider that input together with the very valuable input of a number of others that have an interest in this situation, most especially western farmers, as we arrive at a decision in respect of the matter in the coming months.

[Agriculture, May 26th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, it is certainly not my intention nor that of the government, nor that of any Canadian I am sure, to put the Canadian cattle industry at risk.

Over the last period of time while we have been plagued with some difficulties in our grain sector, the red meat sector particularly the beef industry, has been one of those bright spots we would obviously want to encourage in every way possible.

I am certainly sensitive to the point the hon. member has made about the need to ensure the viability of this industry, including the processing and further processing side of this industry for the future. That is indeed one of the factors the government will take into account in making its decisions from time to time with respect to imports.

[Agriculture, May 26th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the government is most certainly not abandoning the Canadian beef industry. The CITT recommendation upon which the government acted last December also included the recommendation that we should monitor the situation and take into account changing circumstances.

A surprising thing which occurred this year is that the 1994 quota level which was established in the area of 72,000 tonnes was in the process of being filled very early in the year. I think none of the participants in this process anticipated that. When it became obvious the quota was about to be filled, some 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes of product which had been contracted for at a lower price were actually in transit. Because of the time taken in transit the product would have arrived in Canada at the higher price and subject to the surtax. Therefore the number was adjusted to take into account, among other things, that volume of product which was actually in transit and would have been treated unfairly upon its arrival in Canada at the higher price.

We continue to monitor the situation. There are discussions going on today and tomorrow with respect to the importation situation for offshore boneless beef. We will try our best to keep a very balanced view of the situation to make sure that all Canadian interests are properly taken into account.

[Income Tax Act, May 25th, 1994]

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

[Income Tax Act, May 25th, 1994]

moved that Bill C-27, an act to amend the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Application Rules, the Canada Pension Plan, the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act and certain related acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Agriculture, May 25th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport and I have received the letter from the subcommittee on agriculture and transport.

In addition to considering that letter ourselves at a departmental level, we referred the contents of that letter to a group of grains industry senior representatives at a meeting which I called in Winnipeg on May 16. All of the subject matter contained in the letter is now the subject of a variety of working groups being undertaken by the grains industry representatives together with government.

I have asked those representatives to have a report to me no later than next Monday in terms of the type of actions which can be implemented quickly in this crop year. This is to make sure that our grain transportation difficulties are resolved as much as that is humanly possible and further to make sure that this country does not get into that kind of problem again in a future crop year.

[Trade, May 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member and the House can be absolutely assured that the Government of Canada will vigorously defend Canada's vital interests, including the interests of Canadian grain farmers.

We have consulted and will continue to consult with our customers and our competitors alike. In recent days we have

been in touch with the Brazilians, the Argentinians and the Mexicans and we will continue that dialogue to resolve any concerns they might have. We want to ensure full and accurate information so our customers and competitors do not have to rely on misinformation or disinformation that might be provided by the United States.

In the circumstances being complained about by the United States at the present time, the U.S. is wrong. Its allegations are false. It is ironic that those allegations should be coming from a country that spends $1 billion U.S. annually on its export enhancement program which is the most manipulative and trade distorting program on the face of the earth.

[Agriculture, May 10th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of questions for the leader of the Reform Party.

I was interested in his comments in so far as they related to grain transportation and the impact of market forces on grain transportation.

The hon. member will know that before the 1980s the railway companies could quite legitimately complain that the regime existing at that time did not compensate them for the movement of grain. Accordingly government moved in to pick up the slack and did so by buying hopper cars, rebuilding prairie branch lines and a whole range of other things. With the WGTA coming into effect in the early 1980s it effectively provided for a full compensatory position in terms of the railways.

Now that we have passed through the end of the eighties and into the nineties, despite the fact that under the WGTA the railways have been fully compensated and they do not have their old complaints about shortfalls, we have seen very little, if any, investment in hopper cars, very little, if any, investment in infrastructure like prairie roadbeds and so forth. This year we

have a horrendous problem with the levels of service that have been provided.

In terms of the philosophical position that the leader of the Reform Party takes, I wonder how he sees in future market forces being a sufficient discipline on the grain transportation system to ensure that those agents that operate in the system, even though they are being fully paid for their services, are not in fact providing the services in some cases for which they are being paid.

[Capital Punishment, May 10th, 1994]

Remember the rules.