It was not my impression that my colleague for Vaudreuil-Soulanges attacked a crown corporation. Ultimately, we are asking for $100 million over five years for the provision of an essential service to the people of the Gaspé. At present, VIA Rail Canada is using a bus to meet the need. However, we know that buses aren't as comfortable as trains, and the trip takes approximately an hour longer than it would by train, based on our information. Taking the bus is not as attractive to consumers.
Right now, all we hear about is job creation. We saw this with all the witnesses we heard from when we were studying the national public transit strategy. To repair the railway, jobs need to be created. These are all jobs tied to the construction of railcars. We know that all public transit vehicles are built in Canada and that all cars are built in Asia.
This is extremely logical to me. If we talk about job creation in Canada, we must encourage sectors where there is a Canadian industry. This is a measure that our government should use, both to help with the provision of services in the Gaspé and services in my friend's riding, as well as to encourage Canadian industry working to provide public transit.
I want to repeat what my colleague from Vaudreuil-Soulanges said. There should be a mandatory provision of approximately 50 routes for designated communities. The Matapédia-Gaspé line is part of the mandatory routes. So we must help VIA Rail in this regard. Giving it $19 million per year is not a lot for a government, if this helps create jobs, helps people to travel and reduces vehicle emissions. In fact, many people decide to take their cars instead of the bus because it is further.
I support my colleague's motion. Thank you.