International Trade  Mr. Speaker, can the minister make a very clear, perhaps fuller, concrete commitment not to accept any reduction in the customs tariffs put in place by Canada, including those for yogurt and ice cream, or any other concession that would hurt the interests of poultry and dairy producers in Quebec and Canada?

Gun Control  May I observe as well that the centre point of the plan that involves registration of all firearms has recently been reported to have the support of two out of three Albertans among others. Last, may I draw the hon. member's attention to the bill we tabled today that makes clear those who own and possess prohibited firearms may continue to buy and sell among their own class so that their investment in those firearms is preserved.

The Budget  Speaker, I just want to tell the member that he should wait to see the budget. We have set some extremely clear goals and we will meet them all. Since I have the floor, I would like to applaud everyone who voted in the by-elections yesterday and all of the candidates from all parties who ran. In particular, I would like to congratulate the three Liberals who won.

The Budget  Will the Prime Minister follow the Newfoundland premier's advice and give the provinces real control over these areas including appropriate tax points? In other words, will he make clear his government's philosophy on decentralization including the transfer of tax points to the provinces?

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, the minister of defence just gave a very clear explanation. If I heard him right, his peers decided to award that individual the decoration. That will not prevent the committee from asking him the appropriate questions when he comes before the commission.

Supply  We might as well let them do it here. I would never dare be smug about Canada's tax burden. It should be clear by now that I am not endorsing high taxes. We have to face reality squarely which I believe supporters of this motion are failing to do. When they make comparisons of Canada's tax burden it is typically vis-à-vis the United States.

Supply  We could get into a real philosophical debate on this issue: Is it a tax hike? Is it a spending cut? It seems clear to us that it is a question of spending. It has always been difficult to discuss the issue of tax expenditures in an effective way, even during the finance committee's hearings, because the figures are derived from data that is only partly revealed.

Supply  I was in Toronto last week on Wednesday night. There were well over 2,000 people jammed into the Sheraton Centre who gave a very clear message, and I am delivering it to the House: No tax increase. I wonder if he could help us understand how it is Liberals do not understand that message when there are rally after rally, grassroots organizations after grassroots organizations, buttons, petitions and everything else.

Supply  In the end, President Clinton avoided the imposition of such extreme conditions by the use of administrative devices which bypassed Congress. It is not clear that Congress will let presidents use these devices in the future. The American people and their elected representatives are in a foul mood when it comes to bailing out foreign governments which have what they consider to be inappropriate social and economic policies.

Western Grain Transportation Act  It is important to note that although August 1 has been selected as the implementation date for some of these changes, the amendments dealing with demurrage, storage charges and despatch as well as backtracking could be implemented earlier if the government is satisfied that there is sufficient agreement between the railways and the shippers on the commercial details of the changes. I would like to make it clear that this proposed legislation in no way lessens this government's commitment to making decisions on broader WGTA reform in the near future. The passage of this legislation will enable the government to continue with the consultations that are so vital to the development of the long term solutions for problems in our grain handling system.

Western Grain Transportation Act  For instance, when reviewing applications for abandonment, it fails to consider the economic impact of operating a railway line. It is only concerned about the commercial viability of the line for the carrier. It is clear that negative economic impact of the abandonment of certain lines in Canada has been more significant than the operating losses incurred by the carriers. We realize that the railway network of Canada's two major railway carriers must be restructured if they are to be viable once again and able to compete with other carriers.

Agriculture And Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his clear explanation. It is not unlike, as I suspected, the quasi-judicial Immigration and Refugee Board which is fraught with all kinds of problems and a minister who is reluctant to step in when he should and steps in when he should not.

Agriculture And Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act  Speaker, I am particularly interested in one aspect of the proposed legislation that deals with the tribunal. I gather it is a dispute settling mechanism to clear any violations that may be made in some sort of judicial setting. In the interest of natural justice there has to be some sort of a fair procedure set up such as an unbiased adjudicator and the opportunity for a hearing.

Agriculture And Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act  It will do so by enabling the department to take effective action against importers or domestic companies marketing products that do not meet Canadian health, safety or quality standards. Business will welcome clear rules that will help to increase compliance and remove unfairness from the system. The agricultural community will welcome any activity that strengthens our enforcement at border points, increases equity of enforcement between commodities and promotes the marketability of Canadian products.

Agriculture And Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act  It cannot really see what the results will be, how it will affect the farmers or the producers. It is better if we start clearing the dust, waving our hands around a bit and saying that the individual producer is the one who is going to be affected. Let us give him a break and let us see that he stays healthy and productive.