Mr. Speaker, I wanted to keep my feelings about the Conservative government's management of the railway system somewhat ambiguous. However, since my NDP colleague is urging me to state my position, I will simply say this amounts to incompetence.
The government is very cunning and is doing its best to make us believe the Canadian economy is in good shape. However, it cannot be effective with Canadian taxpayers' money by throwing it at the problem. As military procurement critic, my NDP colleague knows perfectly well how poorly the Conservative government is managing the military aircraft procurement files. It is not surprising that the money it throws or sprinkles around in the Canadian railway system, depending on the situation, is being wasted through mismanagement.
My colleague asked me what I thought about the role of the railways in economic growth. My answer to him is that I am proud that, in partnership with the Conservative government, we are going to have railway service in my region that links the railway to the Grand-Anse terminal so that our seaport can open and cargo can be shipped by sea and by train. So this is really a good opportunity for my region to develop its economy.