Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. gentleman would want to join with me in applauding the fact that over the last 18 months we have seen a steady increase in grain prices around the world. These grain price increases are accruing to the benefit of our farmers in Canada. With respect to the marketing system, the hon. gentleman knows full well that a process has been under way in Canada for many months, beginning last year, continuing through the winter and coming to fruition in June.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, there is an interesting contradiction in what the hon. gentleman is suggesting. The member is obviously an opponent of the Canadian Wheat Board. He is obviously requesting this government to take a course of action that would diminish the Canadian Wheat Board. Interestingly enough, in conjunction with our red book in 1993, we indicated support for the Canadian Wheat Board.

Health  Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. gentleman's question is in relation to the disease known as BSE. The key point which bears repeating is that there is absolutely no evidence that BSE exists in Canada and therefore it cannot enter the food chain. Recently the World Health Organization has made certain recommendations to countries about what they might do with respect to BSE.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman knows from other questions in the House which I have answered, I have not ruled out the possibility of a plebiscite in appropriate circumstances in the future. I have also pointed out to the hon. gentleman, both in the House and outside, that plebiscites of the kind that he is proposing can be divisive and can make the problem worse rather than helping to solve it.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman knows that he is not reflecting accurately the meeting on the date to which he refers. What the Prime Minister did say on that occasion, if I remember it correctly, are words to the effect that: "no fundamental change in the Canadian Wheat Board would be undertaken or contemplated without the benefit of some kind of producer consultation.

Questions On The Order Paper  The issues surrounding the reform and upgrading of western Canada's grain handling and transportation system have been the subject of intense study and debate across the prairies for at least 25 years. Within days of the 1993 election, the newly elected federal government was required to begin dealing with these issues in the context of the Uruguay round of world trade negotiations because those negotiations were beginning the process of eliminating "trade distorting export subsidies", and grain subsidies under Canada's Western Grain Transportation Act, WGTA, were included, in part, within that definition.

Agricultural Marketing Programs Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-34, an act to establish programs for the marketing of agricultural products, to repeal the Agricultural Products Board Act, the Agricultural Products Cooperative Marketing Act, the Advance Payments for Crops Act and the Prairie Grain Advance Payments Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts.

Agricultural Marketing Programs Act  Mr. Speaker, for the information of the House and in accordance with Standing Order 73(1), it is the intention of the government that this bill be referred to a committee before second reading.

Supply Management  Mr. Speaker, media coverage in the last several days clearly demonstrates how vigorously we are defending, as promised, our made in Canada supply management system before the NAFTA panel. This defence is a truly Team Canada effort because it involves all relevant farm organizations and all provincial governments.

Law Commission Of Canada Act  moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in. (Motion agreed to.)

Law Commission Of Canada Act  moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

Trade  Mr. Speaker, certainly to the very best of my knowledge and belief, no such documents exist. I have already asked my officials to confirm that to my satisfaction. I can tell the hon. member what I do know exists. It was delivered to me in Geneva in December 1993 when the initialling of the WTO agreement took place.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman can be absolutely assured that, as I have said in the House on many occasions, the government will defend staunchly those vital marketing agencies and institutions that are so valuable to Canadian farmers, including our supply management system and most certainly the Canadian Wheat Board.

Food Safety  Mr. Speaker, when it comes to food safety there is no room for smugness or complacency. The attitude we have always adopted in Canada is one of great vigilance and care. We set and we enforce standards which are among the highest in the world. That is why we can say with confidence that Canada's meat supply is safe.

Nisga'A Land Claims  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, I would say that after 100 years this is hardly a fast track. In the process leading up to the agreement in principle, very sincere efforts were made at consultations in over 200 public meetings, open houses and other consultative mechanisms.