Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois wishes, of course, the bill to be sent to committee as soon as possible. Let us remember that this is the old Bill C-44, to which we made a very constructive contribution to get meaningful results.
The government had not agreed to make some amendments that we considered essential, which is why we had voted against the bill at third reading. These amendments are still not to be found in the new bill.
Yet it has to be recognized that this is an important bill. It will create the port authorities and finally allow the regions to take over control of their port infrastructures, which is what the people of Quebec, among others, have been calling for over the past 20, 25 or 30 years, while the federal government has long been a distant observer of the vitality of our regions and of the use of port facilities in our regions.
This bill will introduce some interesting elements, but only if the federal government decides to put more than $150 million into the compensation fund it plans to put into place for when a regional port is handed over to regional authorities. Let me give you an example.
There are several port facilities in my riding that are affected by this situation. Since the community of Cacouna found out two years ago that a new ports policy was coming, it undertook some projects. A port development corporation has been created. It has already twinned with the French port of La Rochelle. It is getting a commercial development plan drawn up under the leadership of the director general of a pulp and paper mill in Rivière-du-Loup, a very dynamic business man.
The community has taken its fate into its own hands. It is prepared to take over, to assume administration of the facility, but only under acceptable conditions, and the federal government must turn over the facility under conditions which will maximize the port's future business opportunities.
For example, they expect that if the port entrance needs widening, or if the port needs dredging, that must be done. In other words, like any property, that it not be sold in a rundown condition. It must be sold in an acceptable condition and at a price that will enable the community to take it over.
The commercial ports are not the only ones affected by this bill. There are also ferry ports. Three are affected this way in my riding: the Rivière-du-Loup—Saint-Siméon ferry, the Trois-Pistoles—Les Escoumins ferry and the ferry between Saint-Juste-du-Lac and Notre-Dame-du-Lac on Témiscouata Lake.
Each case necessitates divestment, and the community has to take over the facility with the assurance that there will be a future for ferry services. In Rivière-du-Loup, an impact study by the Corporation de développement économique confirms that the ferry brings in $25 million and provides each government with some $2 million in tax dollars.
The talk of giving money to the regions out of kindness and a concern for equality is over. Governments have to consider ferry ports in Rivière-du-Loup an investment that stimulates the economy and provides revenues much higher than the cost of maintaining the facilities and especially divestment in the interest of the people of the community.
There is also the Trois-Pistoles ferry, which is a private operation, and which the Government of Quebec did not consider an essential service, but which in practice provides an essential service. It provides transportation to the North Shore alleviating traffic problems on the Saguenay ferry.
The federal government must be open and permit this port to operate at full capacity. It must also acknowledge the recreational and touristic aspects of the port developed in recent years. It is a haven where tourists, who have made Trois-Pistoles the cultural capital of the Lower St. Lawrence, can use the port infrastructure as a gateway to the river and enjoy all the benefits of the various tourist developments in our region.
All of these things are dealt with in the bill, which is why we want it sent to committee as soon as possible, so that the government can listen to our arguments and agree to a number of amendments, including one to increase the compensation fund to make it efficient and operational and ensure that the local authorities will be able, 10 or 15 years from now, to take charge of their own future and to control their port infrastructure.
There are other reasons why we want to send the bill to committee as soon as possible. There is the whole issue of the maritime pilots on the St. Lawrence. The last time the bill was before the committee, the Liberal majority came up with a last-minute amendment. We do not know where it came from but it did smack of influence peddling. This amendment took away from the pilots the role they were playing in terms of security. The amendment was designed to replace these people with machines, to remove some of the security measures they used to have and to threaten the independence they enjoyed as pilots on the St. Lawrence.
I had a quick look at this amendment, and I was surprised at the attitude of the government. I had discussions with pilots, who clearly demonstrated to me the essential nature of their functions, as good human judgment is essential to navigation on the St. Lawrence, where security is paramount.
There is also the question of the language of work for pilots on the St. Lawrence. Over the years, they have developed a tradition of working in French, and this tradition should continue.
In committee, we fought real hard and convinced the government to withdraw this amendment. Today, this aspect of the bill is acceptable to us, and pilots want to see the bill passed as soon as possible.
To conclude, let me add that we would like to vote in favour of the bill as a whole at third reading. That is why we would like to get a few additional amendments from the government.
When Bill C-44 was in committee, we managed to have the port of Trois-Rivières designated as a Canadian port authority, thanks in part to the hon. member for Trois-Rivières, who made very significant representations. Among other things, he provided information that helped the Prime Minister better understand what was best for Trois-Rivières, after originally saying that the status of regional port might not be a bad thing for that city.
In any case, the hon. member for Trois-Rivières was able to demonstrate that Trois-Rivières deserved to have a port authority, and he managed to convince the committee. This resulted in an improved piece of legislation.
There are still a few things that need to be corrected in the bill. If the government is prepared to do so, the end result will be even better. I am thinking in particular of a clause that seems quite obsolete. I am referring to the fact that port masters in Canada are appointed by the government, in a blatant display of patronage.
After the 1993 election, we had a port master who had been similarly appointed by the Conservatives, but who had developed an expertise. He had been there seven, eight or ten years and had become an expert in the field. Still, the Liberals got rid of him and appointed someone else. I have no doubt about the new appointee's competence, but he had to learn everything from scratch. I believe an amendment would be in order regarding this issue.
All this to say we are prepared to go to committee. We hope the review takes place as soon as possible, and we also hope the government will give favourable consideration to our amendments, so that, in the end, the bill is a true reform of Canada's marine policy and a tool to promote our economy.