Madam Speaker, the oceans protection plan's national anchorage strategy has been in place for three years and the problem has only gotten worse. Environmental and cost considerations should be enough motivation to fix this situation. It is not acceptable to wait for another collision, the beaching of a vessel or a fuel spill to take action.
The solutions exist and will improve environmental conditions, reduce disruptions to communities and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Implementing solutions will also result in more money in the pockets of prairie grain farmers. It is time for Transport Canada to mandate efficiencies at the Port of Vancouver.
Strong regulations that ensure peak coordination between exporters and shipping companies are the solution required to address the root causes of the freighter anchorage problem in the southern Gulf Islands.