In February 2006 the grain division sent a letter to our minister and it was supported by companies such as Cargill and others, in addition to your organization, asking for clarity and “recommending that the Government of Canada be prepared to discuss and negotiate the matter of exporting state trading enterprises at the WTO”.
It's no secret that the U.S. and the European Union want us to get rid of what they call state trading enterprises. In your opinion, if we were to do this, if we succumb to the pressure of the WTO and we get rid of these enterprises, right now, with 70% of the world grain trade controlled by the multinationals, will that mean that 100% of the grain trade will be controlled and then farmers such as yourself, in the long run, will wind up paying any price they want, so there won't be anybody negotiating on your behalf? That's the first question.
Secondly, is it fair to compare Ontario with Canada? Some statistics show, for example, on Ontario soft wheat, the price currently being paid is $148.88 a tonne. Under the old system the price would have been $173 a tonne. Do you agree with that? Apparently farmers are receiving less money. It's a different situation. They have access to fifteen mills and eight port facilities. They export 384,000 tonnes outside of Canada and the U.S., whereas the west exports 10.1 million tonnes. Are we really comparing oranges and oranges here?
The last question is, how many members does your organization have? Do you know how many members the National Farmers Union has? You have opposing views. They're saying that the Canadian Wheat Board has made $800 million for farmers over the last year. So we have different views. How many members do they have and how many members do you have? Who really represents the farmers in western Canada?
I'll stop there.