Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to rise and present a petition on behalf of over 850 residents of Saskatchewan.
Last week, Saskatchewan's Premier Moe started a petition asking the federal government to classify rail workers as an essential service in light of what was a looming CP Rail strike at the time. This disruption will have a catastrophic effect on the supply chain in Saskatchewan, affecting many sectors such as agriculture, mining and forestry. The petition asks the federal government to start working on back-to-work legislation and begin working on legislation to make rail service an essential service, which would preclude any future disruptions.
The rail sector is a vital service not only for Saskatchewan's economy, but for Canada's economy.