Mr. Speaker, it is the current government that has been dragging its feet.
If the government wanted to support this initiative, I suppose it would want to add some conditions. However, this late in the game, such conditions would be considered inappropriate in negotiations in good faith and would most likely seem harsh.
Given its reluctance to communicate with the parties involved, any chance of an exchange of views is growing slimmer given the limited amount of time left to save passenger service on the Algoma Central Railway.
If the train stops running, businesses will close, jobs will be lost, and the local economy will disappear. The government will have to live with those consequences for a long time.
Northern Ontarians are patient, but they have good memories, and they deserve better.
Will the government make this issue a priority and do something to save passenger service on the Algoma Central Railway?