Mr. Speaker, the deal ending an eight day work stoppage that paralysed the port of Vancouver was ratified on Friday but the main bone of contention remains unresolved.
While shippers and their customers tally up their losses, the Canadian economy is out $800 million. In the age of just in time inventory control, valuable international contracts were lost and our reputation as a reliable shipper is in tatters.
Even though it is over, it must not be forgotten. Work disruptions at Canada's busiest port cannot continue to hold third parties hostage. Just as sure as Christmas comes in December, it will happen again.
The Deputy Prime Minister said “We do intend to make sure that this does not happen every year”. News flash to the deputy PM: Reformers have been offering a solution to this for six years. Where has he been? Rather than resorting to threats or heavy-handed back to work legislation, Canadians are demanding that a permanent solution be put in place now.