Mr. Speaker, I am here today to speak to Bill C-52, which would amend rail transportation legislation.
It really surprised me that I could find something to be angry about in a rail transportation bill. Perhaps "angry" is a bit strong. Exasperated may be a better word.
What could I find so exasperating in an attempt to provide recourse for unsatisfied users of rail shipping services? It is very simple. It is as though the government is pretending to fix the problem to give the illusion that it is taking action. Members will notice that I said "exasperating" and not "surprising", since this is becoming a trend.
Bill C-52 is another example of the Conservative government's chronic mismanagement. Rail transportation fuels Canada's economy. Of all the countries in the world, Canada is one that was built by the railway. The railway was behind every aspect of our growth.
The quality of rail infrastructure still has a direct impact on Canada's entire economy today. This is not news to the government; it knows that.
Usually, the Conservative government—as patriotic as ever—would defend our businesses' access to the rail system. Nearly 150 years ago, at the start of our Confederation's growth, it was the country's lifeblood. It was an almost heroic era when Canada dreamt of defying the world.
That was the 19th century. While the situation is quite different today, it is easy to explain. Rail companies are extremely prosperous and make ridiculous profits. And that is understandable because without them, Canada would be paralyzed and would have almost no economy.
A crucial detail that I should point out, even though it may be useless to do so, is that there are only two rail companies in Canada. The minister spoke of a “duopoly” when describing the situation, and that was fine in the first hour of discussion. But I do not like that term because “duo” means “together”, not just “two”. And that is the crux of the issue.
The ridiculous profits I mentioned keep piling up. Let us face it, there really is no competition. These two companies share all of Canada's rail transportation business and more, and they always have. These are two major, historic Canadian companies, if we can still call them Canadian now that they have been privatized.
That is the government's only motivation: do not upset the large corporations that are raking in huge profits. If any disputes arise between those companies and the small shippers, let us give the companies the power to shut them up quickly. Some would even say with nickels and dimes.
One might speak out and say that it is counter productive, that it is irrational to do that. Yes, that is true, but this would be forgetting that, first and foremost, these people, the government and the railway companies, know each other and talk to one another. These people are perhaps not exactly in collusion, but they definitely share certain sympathies. Yes, they are sympathetic to one another.
In addition, in the intellectual shackles of puritanism, which is the basis of the entire Conservative approach, it is clear that the fittest gets his power directly from God and must not be opposed. Success comes from God almighty. Put that all together and there you have the inspiration for Bill C-52 and for everything else, of course.
Here is what bothers me about the result, Bill C-52. I already know how the Conservatives will respond: “The economic recovery is too fragile. We must not make any waves. We have to ensure that we have everything going for us. We cannot do anything to compromise the railways' efficiency, not for the measly crumbs, not for a company worth, at worst, $100,000.”
After all, we are not reinventing ourselves. These people are not likely to engage in such deep reflection now in the middle of February.
This is the same old story. After dragging its feet for so long, now the government is stubbornly defending a characteristically weak and contemptuous bill. Let us rename it: Bill C-52, an act that says that railway companies can break any contract they like for $100,000, and be done with it. What a bargain.
Rail lines are real structures that result in exchanges and economic benefits that are just as real. There is a direct impact at all levels of economic life. If remote shippers can no longer rely on the two national companies, they might not exist at all. If shippers are neglected, they and their communities are not being allowed to participate in the country's development.
All paths starting on the margins lead to the centre. Coming from a government that claims it will leave no stone unturned to achieve prosperity, it is rather strange. For people who take every opportunity to proclaim to the world that supporting the right is the best way to ensure the well-being of business, it is more than revealing.
Is that the Conservative government's great recovery plan for outlying regions? Yes, undoubtedly. Bill C-52 is striking proof. Develop resources, process them, but do not try to sell them because all the railway cars are taken. This is more proof that there is no plan and that this will have to wait, again. However, be happy, there are a lot of people lined up to talk to the government and you can chat with them. There is the manufacturing sector, my entire generation and all aboriginal peoples of Canada. You will surely find something to talk about to pass the time.
I would like to acknowledge the work my colleague from Trinity—Spadina has done on the issue before us today. I say "colleague" because that is how we refer to each other here, even though I would prefer to use a word that better represents the respect I have for her. She not only wants to do everything, she can do everything. If the official opposition transport critic says that she has met with all of the stakeholders, it means that she has met with all of the stakeholders, even the ones who were hiding. And if she says that a clear majority does not like anything in this bill, it means that there is damning and incontrovertible evidence.
The government can pull all kinds of adjectives out of the Oxford English Dictionary to defend itself, evade the issue and have us believe it worked very hard to restore balance, but no one is listening. That is what I find so exasperating. I hope I am being clear. I find the gaps in logic between what this government claims it is doing and what it is actually doing appalling. The urgent need to fix the problems with the rail companies was a perfect opportunity for the overconfident Conservative government to show that it could do its job. And what happens? It is the first to jump into bed with the rail companies. Nothing gets in the way of love, not even having the lights out.
When Canada has a problem, it would make sense to look elsewhere to see if other countries have found solutions, not to copy them, but to at least draw some inspiration from them. We do not live in a vacuum. And I mean that in a geographic sense, because intellectually speaking, it is obvious that the other side has sucked people in with their empty rhetoric.
Over the past 50 or so years in Canada, the concern that we used to have for our rail system has all but faded. When passenger rail travel became less common, trains and the incredible rail system that stretches like fingers across the country no longer captured our imagination as they once did. The superhuman effort that rallied half a continent quickly died. Yet trains in Europe are flourishing. How often have I heard Quebeckers talk about travelling in Europe and how astounded they were by the quality of rail infrastructure in the European Union?
The pride that you feel is overwhelming when you arrive at Berlin's central station and see “Bombardier” in huge, white letters in the middle of the large window. But you quickly see the unbelievable difference between the European trains that Bombardier builds and the antiquated trains we have here because there is no political will.
The European Union will stop at nothing to ensure that its rail system, which is a huge tangled web of railways that it inherited from the national systems of 27—soon to be 28—countries, is the most competitive in the world. Europe understands our own historical example better than we do ourselves. Without an outstanding, competitive rail system, our country would almost not exist. Bill C-52 may look like a simple legal adjustment concerning a situation that the public can quietly neglect. In fact, quite the opposite is true: it is the government that is neglecting it. When blood flow is cut off to an organ, it dries up and dies. And nolens volens, the rest of the organism will die along with it. That may be a somewhat silly and dramatic image, but it is fair to a certain extent.
In closing, a country is like a house and Canada is like a house built on a beautiful, huge plot of land. It is a land of dreams. We can build little out buildings, create gardens and build a chicken coop. The house itself, which is already huge, could easily be improved, since we have the wood and the carpenters needed to do so. When the NDP has the last word in the affairs of the house, we will work hard to make this house, which we all share, more comfortable, more manageable and even more beautiful. We will add new rooms for children and grandparents, as well as a library and bicycle storage.
For years the Liberals spent their time changing the carpets and arguing about what to call the house, and the Conservatives boarded up the windows because it was too drafty and heating is too expensive. You have to spend money to make money. The right-wing faction should understand that.
The Conservatives need to create jobs in rail transportation instead of allowing themselves to be wooed by the rail companies who have everything to gain by seducing them. In any case, that has already happened, and here is the result of their six years of efforts: Bill C-52.
