Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  The question you ask is a tough one. This is a huge bill. There are some things in this bill that our organization wanted to be brought in a long time ago. There's reference also in this bill to navigable waters, and if you're familiar with that legislation, it's around 120 yea

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  It actually hasn't gone far enough. From our point of view, we would like to go back, and I think maybe this fall we'll get a chance to talk to the government about that. But you've touched on a question that's general. Generally, I could answer that every person in this country

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  I wouldn't be able to answer how many the assessment would affect—I can get the information to you—but there are a lot.

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  The short answer for that would be yes. We believe, as we have stipulated in our document, that where there are fish and there is fish habitat, there should be assistance from the federal government on this. There is some assistance now. Some of these projects in my municipality

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  Thank you, and good evening. My name is Ray Orb, and I am the vice-president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. I am also the reeve of the Rural Municipality of Cupar, in Saskatchewan. I would like to begin by thanking the subcommittee on Bill C-38 of th

Agriculture committee  I will go back to answer your first question, on the average of the five to seven years. I think that would actually have helped with BSE in 2003. Another thing that would have helped is was if they had increased the negative margin. Can you actually believe that people had negat

Agriculture committee  They could have looked at that at the same time. I think that would have been helpful.

Agriculture committee  I'd also like to comment on that. I think that's a good observation and that the timing is probably not that bad to be looking at new programming, because, coincidentally, we are looking at some fairly good grain prices right now. Farmers in Saskatchewan are producing an awful

Agriculture committee  The short answer could be yes, that it could be looked at. I think niche markets are important. Producers could be given the choice, as it is now, if you want to enrol in a program. It's something that would have to be looked at for new programming. I think it would be a good ide

Agriculture committee  We could certainly forward that.

Agriculture committee  Yes, I had a comment on that. I think there are some ways we can save. I know the Province of Saskatchewan now does its own administration of AgriStability, and it has helped tremendously. I think you have people who understand the problems that are indigenous to Saskatchewan, s

Agriculture committee  We call it reshuffling. AgriInvest is basically the top 15% of your margin. AgriStability handles the other 85%.

Agriculture committee  That's right, it could.

Agriculture committee  It is hard to predict how it would actually come out, whether it would cost the government more or less. I know that AgriStability is a huge irritant. You quoted some of the numbers. We know there've been payments going out. We have difficulty tracking those payments, finding out

Agriculture committee  Yes.