Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities said he listened to the speeches. In reality, perhaps he heard them, but I am not sure if he actually listened to them. This is what bothers me.
I hope the parliamentary secretary is aware of the fact that pilotage is one of the safest ways to guarantee that we always have competent people in our waters, people who are familiar with the waters. I am thinking specifically about the waters of the St. Lawrence River, from which many cities draw water for their waterworks. That is also how it works in Mississippi and near other major water sources around the world where pilotage authorities exist, and this is the best way to go about it. When a visiting ship enters the waters of the St. Lawrence, it is handed over to a specialized pilot for the duration of its time in the St. Lawrence as it makes its way towards the Great Lakes. Pilotage authorities take charge of the ship.
We want to make sure this procedure is maintained. I am concerned that the proposed amendments—which are purely financially driven, it would seem—might jeopardize the entire pilotage safety system. Contrary to what the parliamentary secretary might say, the stakeholders and pilots do not approve of the bill being presented here today, and I know that for a fact.