Mr. Speaker, I stand tonight to perhaps address some of the misconceptions that might arise from the debate we are having in this place. Somehow the members of the New Democratic Party want to suggest to the viewing public that this legislation is a reward for CN. They have suggested, which is what the member did again, that we cannot support the economy with this legislation by overruling workers' rights. That is not what this issue is about.
This issue is about families that must get up tomorrow morning and earn a living. It is about workers, not just CN workers and the workers of BC Rail in my riding. It is about the thousands and potentially hundreds of thousands of families that will be held captive if this dispute is allowed to continue. That is the reality.
On behalf of the riding I have been privileged to represent in this place for close to 14 years in northeastern British Columbia, this issue is of paramount importance to thousands of families in Prince George—Peace River. Whether it is the coal mines in Tumbler Ridge that need to have rail cars there on a predictable basis every day so that they can load their coal, otherwise they cannot go to work, or whether it is the pulp and paper mills that need rail cars to take their product to market, or whether it is the farmers in the Peace River part of my riding who need the rail cars to transport their grain to market so they can get a paycheque to buy groceries, that is the reality we are dealing with here.
Not one member in this House wants to stand up and give accolades to CN. All of us understand. We do not need any lessons from the New Democratic Party about the problems that this company has had. Certainly I am well aware of that. However, the reality is that this government must act, not on behalf of this monolithic company but on behalf of Canadian families that will lose their income.
I do not know whether the New Democratic Party understands that. In my riding alone there are hundreds of families right now that are at the point where they will begin to lose their income if this is not settled and those rail cars are not rolling again.
I have not even mentioned the fact that in rural areas of northeastern British Columbia, products like propane, which heats the homes, comes in by rail. It is fortunate that it is no longer 30° below any more but when the rail was interrupted in February, it was a serious problem and reaching a very serious point when the rail cars started to run again. We cannot allow that to happen again, which is why we need to get those rail cars moving.