Income Tax Act  moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

Income Tax Act  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  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.

Trade  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.

Agriculture  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.

Capital Punishment  Remember the rules.

Agriculture  moved: That this House note the proactive work of the government, in co-operation with farm organizations, industry representatives, and the provinces, to enhance the agriculture and agri-food sector of the Canadian economy, contributing to the well-being of farmers, food security for consumers, sustainable agriculture, economic growth and jobs, and building the sector to be among the best in the world.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the diplomatic and trade mission that has just been concluded to Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong involving the Governor General, myself and a number of Canadian agri-food business leaders was a significant success for Canada. We were able to conclude certain transactions during the course of our travels.

Trade  Mr. Speaker, the short answer to the hon. member's question is an unequivocal yes. As I have said on many occasions, we will not roll over and play dead. Canada will defend this country's vital interests, including those of Canadian grain producers. I have made that point on a number of occasions, as has the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the Minister for International Trade, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, a variety of representations have been received by me on this particular point. The representations go both ways. Some farmers and farm organizations are strongly advocating support for the Canadian Wheat Board and its traditional strength as a marketing agency on behalf of Canadian farmers.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, in response to the first question, I indicated there were a number of serious issues that those who advocate the notion of a plebiscite might want to consider very carefully, one being the legal basis on which a plebiscite might be held. Those who recall the previous government might remember that government was ensnared in some rather serious legal difficulties because it acted without the proper legal authority, according to the Federal Court of Canada.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his question. It is on subject matter about which I know he cares very deeply. I spoke by telephone this morning with the United States Secretary of Agriculture, the Hon. Mike Espy. We explored in that conversation whether we were close enough in our respective positions on Canada-U.S. agriculture trade to make a face-to-face meeting between us sometime next week a productive undertaking.

Questions On The Order Paper  Between June 1992 and January 1994 there were 44 appointments to Agriculture Canada at the level of director or higher. Of these, 33 were appointments from within the department, 10 were from other federal government departments, and one was from the Quebec provincial government.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question and for the courtesy of some notice of the question. As I am sure he will appreciate, since the decision of the CITT is in effect a decision of a quasi-judicial body, it would be inappropriate for me to comment in any way on the merits or demerits of the decision.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the provisions of the free trade agreement are one potential avenue that might be pursued. There is the potential of an appeal of the CITT ruling to the Federal Court. There is also the potential of commencing a brand new CITT inquiry. The difficulty with all these avenues is that they take a long time.