moved for leave to introduce Bill C-313, an act respecting the commercialization of VIA Rail Canada Inc.
Mr. Speaker, my bill is very simple. It concerns the privatization of VIA Rail. VIA Rail sold a part of its company to the private sector and then years later proceeded to try to compete with it. It is subsidized to the rate of over $500,000 a day, 365 days a year.
If it is going to use taxpayer money, it is time it was privatized, met good commercial standards and either run on its own merit or, if necessary, shut down and other companies which are more equipped to deal with good private sector practices could take over, as has been done by the Rocky Mountaineer in British Columbia.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)