Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of rising in the House today to speak in support of motion M-271 on the Port of Québec. This motion was moved by the hon. member for Beauport—Limoilou, and I would like to commend him on the excellent work he does for his constituents both in the House and in his riding.
Since I am a member of Parliament from the greater Quebec City region, this motion is particularly important to me. We all know the key role that the port plays in my region's economy, and it is very important to officially recognize that role in the House.
The motion asks the government for two main things. First, it asks that the government recognize the Port of Québec as a hub of international trade in opening new markets for Canadian business, creating jobs, generating significant economic benefits, particularly in terms of tourism, and ensuring the vitality of small and medium businesses in Quebec City and the surrounding areas.
Second, we want the government to formally support key projects for the upgrading of port assets and the development of equipment, taking into account, of course, the climatic and environmental challenges of this particular section of the St. Lawrence River.
The motion thus clearly states the key role that the port plays in Quebec City's economy. The people here are well aware of it. The Quebec City region is an important part of the marine and port infrastructure of both Quebec and Canada as a whole. The Port of Québec's facilities are among the largest in the country and it handles a very large amount of traffic.
The Port of Québec is unique in that the deep waters that surround it and its strategic location between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean allow it to accommodate different types of ships and provide a wide variety of services. Generally speaking, it is very competitive in the market. It is also the only deep-water port along the St. Lawrence with a multi-modal transportation system.
On average, the Port of Québec generates $3.6 million a year in profit and provides the region with $786 million in economic spinoffs. It also pays $163 million in taxes a year. The port generates a lot of revenue, and approximately 100,000 direct and indirect jobs are related to its activities.
Unfortunately, the Port of Québec's infrastructure is currently in disrepair and in urgent need of upgrades. The current facilities are exposed to particularly harsh weather conditions, a factor which helps explain the great need for investments in this port's infrastructure.
According to Mario Girard, president and CEO of the Quebec Port Authority, $150 million in investments would be needed to bring the port facilities up to standard. If the port infrastructure is not modernized soon, we run the risk of losing a number of contracts to U.S. ports, which would not benefit anyone here.
The problem is that the Port of Québec does not generate enough revenue to maintain its infrastructure and develop new infrastructure. The port does not have the means to finance the necessary work to remain competitive.
The marine sector is essential to the economy in many Canadian cities, a number of which are in my riding in fact. Despite this importance to our economy, the means for funding the marine sector are relatively limited. There is no real liquidity, businesses have a low borrowing capacity and there are no real subsidy programs specific to the ports.
In that context, it is excessively difficult, if not impossible for ports to proceed with the upgrades needed to maintain their current facilities and develop new infrastructure and modern equipment. Currently, the Port of Québec is operating at almost full capacity, which is far from a bad thing.
However, as I said, it is impossible for the port to invest in its own infrastructure to renew itself, which is going to greatly hinder its ability to seize all the business opportunities that open up on the domestic and international markets. To a government that is so concerned about the economy and that expects our businesses to be competitive, this situation should seem unacceptable to everyone.
To try to generate new revenues, the Port of Québec would like to make several major investments, including the construction of a deep water wharf in Beauport for liquid bulk, a new grain silo to be located in Pointe-à-Carcy, the modernization of solid bulk storage equipment and finally, updating the Louise Basin, a rather large basin in the Quebec City area.
These projects, which are very important to ensuring the long-term viability of the Port of Québec, would cost a total of around $250 million, much of which would be covered by private investments. That is important to emphasize. Entrepreneurs in the Quebec City region are prepared to invest in modernizing the port infrastructure. However, we cannot move forward on it without a clear commitment from this government, as called for by the motion before us here today.
I would like to share the comments of Marc Dulude, executive vice-president of IMTT Québec, a company specializing in liquid bulk. He said recently that the business community of Quebec City is prepared to contribute financially to the modernization of Quebec City's port facilities, but he also urged the government do its share.
This represents equitable cost sharing. I think everyone should contribute to this port facility, which is very important not only to the Province of Quebec, but to the entire country. Without government investments, our crumbling port infrastructure could continue to hinder commercial development, particularly that of the Atlantic gateway. Tourism, which is very important to Quebec, could also be negatively affected.
In 2011, the Port of Québec expected 20,000 fewer tourists than in 2010. In that context, the lack of federal investment in port infrastructure is very troubling, no matter what anyone says in this House. If the government insists on maintaining the status quo, the infrastructure will only continue to deteriorate.
For several months now, the NDP has been calling for more investment in Canada's infrastructure, since much of our aging infrastructure needs to be updated. We believe that investments in infrastructure must be at the heart of any strategy for Canada's economic recovery. Any projects to repair and update our infrastructure would create many new jobs, which could help maintain and develop Canada's economic vitality.
For that reason, the NDP wants to encourage the development and renewal of Quebec City's port facilities. I hope that the government is willing to work with us to that end. The government's support is vital to the completion of the work required to ensure the sustainability of the Port of Québec's infrastructure. However, I have some concerns. In various negotiations with local stakeholders, the government has not been very flexible. I hope that things will soon change. I mention this fact because, in my riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, the municipality of Portneuf has been involved for more than two years in negotiations with Transport Canada on the future of the Portneuf wharf, the country's longest deep water wharf.
This facility is very important to the region because of its recreation and tourism activities and the revenue that the wharf will generate for Portneuf and the neighbouring municipalities. The town is trying to purchase the wharf to further develop the economy. If unable to gain ownership of the infrastructure, the town would be willing to accept government guarantees that the public would continue to have access to the wharf and that it would be renovated. Negotiations were broken off by Transport Canada because of the need for significant repairs to the wharf.
I hope that this situation will not have an impact on the current activities of the Port of Québec. We must invest more in our infrastructure and improve the economy of the region of Quebec City and all the neighbouring municipalities. I hope the government will support this motion.