Mr. Speaker, the replacement of the Lucy Maud Montgomery ferry serving the Magdalen Islands is the source of great concerns these days. During the election campaign, I promised to consult the population of the Islands before any decision was made on that issue.
We must admit it is the Islanders who will have to live with the new ferry. Therefore, I think their preferences and needs should come first. But everyone agrees a new ferry must be built. However, the Islanders have some legitimate requirements; they want a bigger and stronger ferry able to cope with the ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
We will soon find a way to replace the present ferry. I would only like to remind the opposition and the government that the interests of the Magdalen Islanders should come first and not those of anyone else outside my riding of Bonaventure-Îles-de-la-Madeleine.