Madam Speaker, what a joy to participate in the debate in adjournment proceedings where the comments from a parliamentary secretary are relevant to the topic at hand and are actually responsive to my concerns. That is new in the 42nd Parliament, and I want to thank the parliamentary secretary. However, I would love to find out how we can do more.
I am very concerned that VIA Rail needs to have the full board of directors fully appointed. There are vacancies on the board of VIA Rail. There are qualified Canadians who care about passenger rail service who should fill those vacancies. As a result of Sir John A. Macdonald's national dream, we have a rail service from coast to coast. However, it should not resemble an antique or historical artifact. We need to modernize. We need to make sure we offer people an option that gets them off planes and out of their cars and enjoying Canada from tracks that are modern and efficient. This is a tall order, given the neglect of our rail service for so long. I welcome the interest of the current government.