Bill C-18 committee  If you're talking about money, no.

Bill C-18 committee  Perhaps I've been misunderstood. We're not talking about helping to dismantle the Wheat Board or about hastening the dismantling of the Wheat Board. What we're saying is that when this bill passes and we no longer have a single-desk Wheat Board, the issues I raised need to be add

Bill C-18 committee  In terms of the problem you just described with regard to farmers being in remote areas and having to truck their grain, that happened quite a while ago with the consolidation of grain companies and the building of large inland terminals and closing down the community elevators.

Bill C-18 committee  Certainly, as you already said, I think we brought four or five ships of fertilizer in. If fertilizer is brought in, of course it makes ultimate sense that you would carry something back out. Certainly aggregating grains, and using Churchill, if that worked with the input side, w

Bill C-18 committee  Well, that is a challenge. If you have two hours, we can go into how we built the pesticide industry. But that is a concern. Again, I think the power will be in the weight of the farmers who will be part of any group. Mr. Storseth asked earlier if we would you see ourselves comp

Bill C-18 committee  I think it's important that all levels of government listen to all farmers in a discussion on any issue.

Bill C-18 committee  How much sustaining power a brand would have in an international market if we had a new Wheat Board is beyond my expertise to comment on, because I don't know what would happen to the brand. I think that when it comes to our international markets, they want quality and they want

Bill C-18 committee  For anything to happen at FNA with regard to this, there has to be some sort of certainty. We could work within almost any environment, but a level of certainty absolutely helps the dynamics.

Bill C-18 committee  Sorry...?

Bill C-18 committee  I wouldn't see ourselves so much a competitor as a partner in a new entity.

Bill C-18 committee  Is what you're suggesting that part of the board would be appointed and part of it would be elected?

Bill C-18 committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. We haven't looked at election versus appointment in the organization, but what we have looked at is that the directors should be well versed in the grain handling, transportation, marketing industry. They should know what that's about. There should also be

Bill C-18 committee  There would be those in the organization, Mr. Storseth, who wouldn't like your calling the FNA a company; we're a member-based organization. But I understand what you mean. As far as pooling is concerned, if our organization were to do pooling, that would have to go along with s

Bill C-18 committee  On that one, we have looked more at commercial solutions. It would be premature for me to talk about those, because we're not prepared yet to talk about them. We have looked at them in the task force. We think there are ways of making sure that the new iteration of the Wheat Boar

Bill C-18 committee  I am not an expert on shortline rail. I know they benefit farmers, and I know a lot of farmers who have invested in shortline rail. I believe it helps make the transportation system more efficient. I believe it facilitates producer cars, which farmers feel bring more dollars back