Mr. Speaker, I again thank the member opposite for the opportunity to mention that on November 7 our government announced a comprehensive national plan to address the issue of abandoned and derelict vessels in Canadian waters as part of the $1.5 billion oceans protection plan. This plan includes new legislation that puts the responsibility and liability on vessel owners to properly remove and dispose of their vessels. Although the majority of vessel owners act responsibly, even a few instances of abandonment can and do have significant impacts on local communities. This is only reasonable.
Abandoning a car on the side of the road would be unthinkable. The same should apply to ships and boats. We need to ensure that the federal government and other jurisdictions have the necessary information and levers to track careless owners down and hold them accountable. We recognize that abandoned and derelict vessels threaten key fishing and tourism—