Mr. Speaker, the federal government is increasingly withdrawing from maintenance operations in the St. Lawrence waterway. Its tendency to download the costs onto marine carriers is eroding the competitiveness of the St. Lawrence River and jeopardizing the survival of the ports.
Will the Minister of Transport not admit that the federal government's withdrawal is making it practically impossible for ports along the St. Lawrence River to compete with ports such as Halifax and that, ultimately, this strategy is compromising the very existence of St. Lawrence ports?