Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by residents from all over British Columbia. They call on the government not to adopt the Emerson report on the Canadian Transportation Act, which would dismantle the established rules governing cabotage in Canada.
The petitioners point out that dismantling cabotage would allow the shipping industry to hire cheaper, perhaps vulnerable, foreign seafarers without knowledge of the local waters they sail, endangering marine safety and, good Canadian jobs, and resulting in the unemployment of many Canadian workers in this very important industry who are able to sustain their families with good jobs.