Mr. Speaker, the member opposite just said something that grates on me. In fact, I find it insulting to shippers, who are also business people. The member wants to strengthen economic efficiency, yet in committee, members are not given the opportunity to improve the bill by making amendments. Thus, for the 37th time, a gag order is being imposed. Members do not have the opportunity to discuss issues in a normal, democratic fashion.
The bills being discussed in the House are full of flaws. In fact, one of the many shortcomings that members have been discussing today is the fact that the maximum penalty for rail companies is $100,000. This $100,000 should be given to shippers to compensate them for lost productivity, delays and damage caused to harvests and products. However, in actual fact, this $100,000 goes directly to the federal government. That is not effective. The money is not going to the right place and, what is more, the fine is not even an effective deterrent. For example, in 2012, CN posted a $2.7 billion profit.
How can a bill that is replete with deficiencies benefit the economy and business people?