15. Welcomes further good progress in adopting anti-corruption legislation, in particular the new public procurement law, the law on the financing of political parties and the amendments to the law on conflict of interest; notes, however, that the new public procurement law may be more restrictive than previous legislation and might therefore discourage reporting on corruption; is concerned about the strong role of representatives of political parties in the Commission for the Prevention of Conflict of Interest, which is responsible ...[+++] for implementing the new amendments to the law on conflict of interest; is of the view that the current draft law on the free access to information may restrict access to information and, by doing so, may reduce the ability of civil society organisations and the media to reveal corruption cases; notes that corruption is still prevalent in many areas, continues to be an issue of particular concern and can also cause significant costs to public finances;

15. Welcomes further good progress in adopting anti-corruption legislation, in particular the new public procurement law, the law on the financing of political parties and the amendments to the law on conflict of interest; notes, however, that the new public procurement law may be more restrictive than previous legislation and might therefore discourage reporting on corruption; is concerned about the strong role of representatives of political parties in the Commission for the Prevention of Conflict of Interest, which is responsible ...[+++] for implementing the new amendments to the law on conflict of interest; is of the view that the current draft law on the free access to information may restrict access to information and, by doing so, may reduce the ability of civil society organisations and the media to reveal corruption cases; notes that corruption is still prevalent in many areas, continues to be an issue of particular concern and can also cause significant costs to public finances;

Question No. 323 Mr. Alex Atamanenko: With regard to the sale, financing and ownership of Canadian farmland: (a) what is the amount of funding that Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has advanced to non-farming corporations for the purpose of purchasing farmland; (b) what are the names of the non-farming corporations to which FCC has provided funding for the purchasing of farmland; (c) what is the total amount of farmland acres that have been purchased with FCC funding by non-farming corporations; (d) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by non-farming corporations; (e) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by foreig ...[+++]n investment companies; (f) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by domestic investment companies; (g) what is the total amount of farmland that is owned by non-Canadian individuals and corporations; (h) what is the percentage of total Canadian farmland that is owned by non-Canadian individuals and companies; (i) what is the government’s policy regarding the acquisition of Canadian farmland by foreign individuals and corporations; (j) is it the government’s intention to institute policies that will limit the acquisition of Canadian farmland by foreign individuals and corporations; and (k) what is the government’s policy in regards to foreign ownership of farmland as it relates to national security?

The Public Finance Act (Slovenia’s ‘organic budget law’ together with its implementing laws), proposed by a team that I headed, was adopted in autumn 1999.

As a result of the change in the Corporation’s name, clauses 10 to 22 make consequential amendments to six acts, including the Financial Administration Act and the Public Service Pension Act as well as to a number of regulations in which “Farm Credit Corporation” must now be replaced by “Farm Credit Canada”.

The Chairman: Honourable senators, we have with us today, in regard to the Farm Credit Bill, Bill C-25, Mr. Larry McCormick, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, and Mr. John Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Farm Credit Corporation - or Farm Credit Canada, as it will be known once we are through with this bill.