With respect to the proposed amendment, I think the key concern, from a departmental perspective in respect of the existing legislation, is understanding whether the joint entity would actually be acting as an agent of the Crown. I believe the previous amendment, BQ-3.1, which would have limited agency, was not accepted by the committee. It was not adopted by the committee. Some of the provisions in terms of the existing restrictions, I think, around collaboration in ports are focused on ensuring that the risk to the Crown is managed and that the nature of the collaboration does not place undue risk on one port authority or another. They ensure the continued financial self-sustainability of the ports. Those would be the key considerations, from a departmental perspective.
On November 27th, 2023. See this statement in context.