Chemical Product Industry  Mr. Speaker, I presume the question refers to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency which is under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Health. On the minister's behalf I want to assure the hon. gentleman that the government has been in very close dialogue with all of the stakeholders that may be potentially affected by the new Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

Pest Management Regulatory Agency  Mr. Speaker, among the commitments we made at the time of the 1993 election was a commitment to act upon the recommendations of the pest management regulatory report which was published under the previous government. We have made considerable progress in implementing the principle recommendations in that report, including the establishment of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

Pest Management Regulatory Agency  Mr. Speaker, speaking of landing, I would be delighted to land splat on the hon. member in the next election which I intend to do. In terms of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, I think the hon. member should know that the agency is in the process of getting up and running.

Food Inspection Agency  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that this regulatory process does fall under the jurisdiction of the minister of agriculture. I am happy to assure my hon. friend and the seafood industry that there will be no loss of expertise in the new Canadian food inspection agency. The current Department of Fisheries and Oceans inspection staff and all of their professional experience and expertise will be transferred to the agency to ensure that there are no gaps in service and no gaps in the quality of service.

Agricultural Marketing Programs Act  moved that the bill be concurred in.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the new farm debt mediation act will maintain the essential features of the old legislation including a stay of proceedings and a review and mediation process. At the same time it will avoid a good deal of overlap and duplication. It will streamline the administration of the whole program.

Food And Agriculture Organization  Mr. Speaker, Canada takes the world food summit to be held in Rome in November very seriously for a number of reasons. Canada played a pivotal role in the founding of the FAO in 1945. We hosted the 50th anniversary ceremonies of the FAO in Quebec City in 1995 where the foundation for this summit was laid.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party does not like it when I do change my mind and they do not like it when I do not change my mind. I find it very difficult to understand their position. What it is important for the Reform Party to explain to their supporters so that this issue can be fully understood is that the concept of dual marketing would dilute the price pooling system.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to answer this question in the House before. It is very clear in the policy statement that was delivered, both on Friday of last week and Monday of this week, that we will be asking a very clear cut question about whether farmers wish to put all barley, that is, both feed and malting barley, on the completely open market for all sales or would they prefer to retain the current system through which the Canadian Wheat Board, as modernized by the various changes that we are making, remains the single desk seller for all barley exports and domestic barley sales for human consumption.

Hog Producers  Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Department of Commerce has for quite some time now been reviewing the countervailability of a number of Canadian farm programs both federally and provincially, particularly in that period between 1991 and 1994. I am happy to tell the hon. gentleman that as a result of the most recent DOC review of Canadian programs there are two very important pieces of good news.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I indicated very clearly on Friday and very clearly again yesterday what the nature of the question would be. Let me quote: "They", that is farmers, "will be asked a clear cut question about whether they wish to put all barley, both feed and malting, on to the completely open market for all sales or would they prefer to retain the current marketing system through which the Canadian Wheat Board, as modernized by the other changes announced by the government, remains the single desk seller for all barley sales for export and domestic barley sales for human consumption".

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I can understand the hon. gentleman's frustration. Of course he is perfectly at liberty to call his own news conferences, but he prefers to come to mine in order to guarantee some attention. On Friday I had the opportunity to outline to the news media in Regina and across western Canada the general directions being pursued by the government with respect to grain marketing and changes in the Canadian grain marketing system.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, over the course of the last several months, including at a federal-provincial conference of agriculture ministers which was held this past summer in Victoria, I have had the opportunity to consider the structure of the Alberta program. It is fair to say that the program is raising concerns among provincial agriculture ministers in several other provinces and among various producer organizations.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the matching investment initiative is a very creative way in which my department works with the private sector in increasing the total pool of funds available for agri-food R and D in this country. In the 1995-96 fiscal year, the first year of the program, it was virtually fully subscribed with a total of $24 million being invested in new agri-food research and development activities.

Canadian Wheat Board  Mr. Speaker, on the first day of this session of Parliament, September 16, I was asked a question by the hon. member for Provencher as to the timing of the government's reaction to the controversy in western Canada about western grain marketing. I indicated in that reply that we would be in a position to announce our policy decisions before Thanksgiving.