Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Obviously, and by definition, a bill dealing with rail safety is a bill dealing with human life and it must therefore be looked at very seriously.
I worked for 16 years in the pulp and paper industry. My English-speaking colleagues who have visited plants during electoral campaigns or who have worked in that industry all know that its basic motto is always ”safety first”. Unfortunately, the way companies behave does not always correspond to their public statements.
Minister, you or one of your colleagues will probably be asked to appear again on the issue of safety measures relating to the repair of airplanes. Under the present system, companies can self-regulate. However, we have seen the results of such a system in the meat-packing industry and in the farm industry. I do not know if that is part of the philosophy of the Conservative government.
Does that exist in the railway industry or can people from Transport Canada appear unannounced to carry out in-depth inspections?