Thank you for your question.
I know that you are involved in these matters. You represent your riding with great energy.
You raise the issue of transportation over short distances. Whether it be the St. Lawrence River or other navigable waterways on this continent, this is a very useful source of alternative solutions in transportation.
I had the opportunity to chair the first North American Marine Conference—Towards a Shortsea Shipping Strategy for the North American Continent, which was held in Vancouver. Representatives from Mexico were there, as well as the American Secretary of Transportation, Mr. Mineta. We agreed to continue implementing policies and action plans. We believe in the future of marine transport.
I had the opportunity to make these statements again not only before representatives of the Canadian industry but also the Quebec industry. I told them that we intend to go forward with measures complementary to those implemented by the United States and that will also help sustain our national grid.
In 2002, the Quebec government tabled a policy on coastal shipping. Coastal shipping in Canadian waters might be an excellent way to relieve decongestion on quite a few highways.
These are options that we must consider very carefully, perhaps not for the immediate future, but certainly in the middle and long term.