Mr. Speaker, when it came to the WGTA payout, the unique concerns of Peace River farmers were ignored by the government.
To ensure this does not happen again with the impending sale of the federal fleet of 13,000 hopper cars, I would like assurances from the Minister of Transport that BC Rail will will be given an option to buy some of these cars.
As a grain farmer I am well aware that BC Rail has had serious problems getting timely and reliable access to these government owned but CN controlled cars for years. In the more competitive market created with the elimination of the Crow rate, it does not make sense the government would limit the sale of its fleet to a couple of select players and force BC Rail to lease cars from its main competitors.
On behalf of the farmers of the Peace, I believe BC Rail must get its fair share. Farmers need to know there will be sufficient cars to get their grain to market in the future.