Bill C-18 committee  Our working group has not looked at the problems that might arise the way they did in Australia. We have focused on the regulatory aspects. When we discussed the issues of access to ports and inland terminals, we did consider various aspects of regulation that were possible. On

Bill C-18 committee  Again, on the issue of Australia, in the working group we focused on the regulatory aspects. In terms of how it worked in Australia on the issues at play, what I can say as deputy minister is that I was at the Cairns Group meeting, and the Australian trade minister, Craig Emerson

Bill C-18 committee  Could you pose that question again?

Bill C-18 committee  I think they were coming at it from other grain companies, in the sense that they wanted certainty and predictability in terms of the future regime. It wasn't something the working group looked at. What we do know from talking to Ian White, the president of the Wheat Board, is

Bill C-18 committee  Gordon, did you want to add?

Bill C-18 committee  Again, I think Murdoch MacKay will speak to the discussions within the working group on access to ports.

Bill C-18 committee  Mr. Chair, as a way of opening this discussion, I would say that we did meet with farmers. The working group held a panel and we invited six farmers from across the prairies to discuss the issues they saw in transition. We also met with I think about ten associations representing

Bill C-18 committee  On the issue of Churchill, this was discussed briefly in the committee. What was discussed much more at length was the issue of access to ports generally, not singling out any one particular port in that regard. I'll ask Murdoch Mackay to speak to that briefly. Having said that,

Bill C-18 committee  As I said in my opening remarks, market certainty was a fundamental issue that was raised by every person we met as the working group. In terms of the delivery of that certainty, I think it is to move forward and to implement it in a phased way, as set out in Bill C-18. That wi

Bill C-18 committee  What I can say on this, Mr. Chair, is that Ian White, the president of the Wheat Board, was a participant in working group activities. He also was initially asked to be a co-chair with me on the committee. That resulted in a discussion with the chair of the Wheat Board, Allen Obe

Bill C-18 committee  Again, what I would want to emphasize, Mr. Chair, is that the transition period and the interim period is up to five years. If the Wheat Board can develop a plan that will allow it to be viable in the open market and to go forward earlier than that, that will be considered. The i

Bill C-18 committee  That's correct.

Bill C-18 committee  As I indicated in my opening remarks, the working group anticipates there will be opportunities for new investments, for growth in terms of efficiencies of the grain-handling system, as well as for value added. I think we are also aware there will be challenges as we move forwa

Bill C-18 committee  I understand from discussions with Ian White that they intend to undertake those discussions for setting commercial agreements. In terms of the rail service review, there is still work to do. As you know, the six-month facilitation process, which now has a facilitator, will lead

Bill C-18 committee  I think that upon assent to this bill they will move forward quickly on their commercial agreements, and they will have their opportunity to do forward contracts. It's at that point that these commercial agreements can be really moved forward.