Agriculture committee  Let's just talk about reciprocity. The first goal is to help Canadian producers—farmers, shippers, whatever. In terms of just the U.S., there need to be a lot of things for the two countries to have this kind of a reciprocal relationship. One is federally sponsored inspection.

Agriculture committee  That's a difficult question. We have not talked to the Bankers Association in some time. I can't speak for my other colleagues and what they have done. To be perfectly honest, at one point there was a BIA consultation, and people were looking for that. What we have done is appro

Agriculture committee  The first set of numbers you were talking about, I believe, have to do with disputes. Some time ago there was a discussion to the effect that the worst-case scenario over five years was only a $7 million problem. There were some statements like that made. That has to do with the

Agriculture committee  The minister is engaged. He is aware of it. We're aware that there are a number of other priorities on his plate, but to answer your question, yes, he is aware of it, and we're waiting our turn.

Agriculture committee  When someone approached PACA in years past, when the big stick was still alive and well, most of the ones that went forward that were informal quickly went formal. You have to post the double bond before you can move into the formal process. That money is held until a decision is

Agriculture committee  It depends on the complexity of it. You can look at my own statistics. Some of them come and go in as little as 90 days, and some of them drag on a little bit longer. It has to do with the complexity of the case and whether there has to be a hearing, perhaps whether somebody has

Agriculture committee  I absolutely am. I have to confess that in addition to the fact that I used to work there, I think you can see my age and recognize that I keep in touch with a number of people who have risen to positions of some knowledge within USDA. I can assure you that if something resemblin

Agriculture committee  I wouldn't say that's true. We had reciprocity for many years. In all honesty, before the DRC was created in 2000, we were at this doorstep once before when the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that a federal agency couldn't rule on private contracts with low-pay, no-pay. There was a

Agriculture committee  The double bond is an interesting phenomenon. One of the questions that came up last week was “Why?” It was originally put in to guard against frivolous complaints. The guy might file a claim, but he would in fact owe the buyer for freight or other things. However, double does s

Agriculture committee  You're talking about family farms, and I want to be a little bit of an opportunist here. This is all about family farms. A number of you have asked, “Aren't there other things? Isn't there factoring? Isn't there insurance? Why don't the other traditional tools work?” It's becau

Agriculture committee  I believe there are two very easy answers. It is a very complicated issue, as you've just heard. Trying to get one's arms around it is very difficult. Even in the days when we started in the regulatory co-operation council, there were still people who believed there was a pool of

Agriculture committee  On those specific assets.

Agriculture committee  I would throw in one other thing about that. In my interviews with the banks—in talking with the specific managers, not the Bankers Association—I noted that when they're making a loan on accounts receivable, they already discount the account receivable by 25%. They then back out

Agriculture committee  If they have no assets, then one of two things has happened: either the creditor has done business with somebody who is truly in a lot of trouble and they've waited too long, or the person has simply taken the money, bought a house by a golf course in Florida, and escaped.

Agriculture committee  That's true. If it sat for very long, it would spoil.