Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to have the opportunity to participate in this discussion about the 1995 federal budget, particularly the impact of that budget upon agriculture and agri-food. It goes without saying that I profoundly disagree with the conclusions that have been drawn

Western Grain Transportation Act  Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to withdraw the remark if it offends the Reform Party.

Western Grain Transportation Act  Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the termination of subsidy programs, obviously it is necessary to pick a date on which the subsidy terminates and after which payments will no longer be made. In the grains industry in Canada, the key date in terms of the crop year is August 1, 1995

Western Grain Transportation Act  Mr. Speaker, obviously the hon. gentleman does not understand how the crop year works. Many events flow through the normal production season. It has always been August 1 of any given year on which the crop year ends and the next crop year begins while deliveries go on both befor

Rail Strike  Mr. Speaker, the full answer to that question could take several days but I will try to shorten the point because of the very serious issue before the House. One week of lost rail service has the impact of holding up 500,000 tonnes of grain shipments through the Canadian Wheat B

Agriculture  You asked the question; wait for the answer. When the subsidy is removed and the freight rate goes up, obviously there will be an impact upon farm land and it is that impact toward which the payment is directed.

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, the budget documents and all the answers offered by various ministers of the government have indicated the payment being directed toward the landowner. A number of farm organizations in western Canada have asked for the opportunity to provide advice to the governmen

Agriculture  Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman will know, the freight rate in western Canada has in one form or another been subsidized or kept at an artificially low rate for the better part of 100 years. When that occurs for that long period of time the value of the freight rate becomes c

Canadian Wheat Board  Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Reform Party is as much of a diplomatic disappointment in Washington as he is a political disappointment in Canada. I want to assure the hon. member that the leader of the Reform Party in no way speaks for the Government of Canada. The Canadian Whe

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman will know, over the course of the last year or so some good progress has been made in dealing with regulatory issues. We have passed in the House new legislation pertaining to the Canada Grain Act, which is a step in that direction, to improve t

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, the discussions with respect to the efficiencies package have been ongoing now for several months with the active involvement of 14 or 15 farm organizations in western Canada, together with a variety of other stakeholders in the industry. We have indicated to the st

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I note that a number of farmers in western Canada over the course of the last two days in commenting on the budget have noted that the change with respect to freight rates in western Canada has the potential to encourage diversification and value added production in

Questions On The Order Paper  (a) The Canadian Wheat Board accounts are audited by an independent external auditor, Deloitte and Touche, Chartered Accountants. In addition, management of the Canadian Wheat Board is responsible for having good internal controls and formal policies and procedures to ensure the

Agricultural Subsidies  Mr. Speaker, equity, fairness and balance are established as hallmarks of this government and will continue to be.

Agricultural Subsidies  Mr. Speaker, the subject of western grain transportation reform has been debated for probably the better part of the last 25 years. We intend to proceed with various aspects of that reform. Indeed some measures are already before the House in the form of proposed legislation. O