Hoang Mai

[Rail Transportation, October 9th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Minister of Transport, rail accidents are caused by the actions of individuals. The reality is that there is a much larger problem that relates to how safety rules are enforced.

Yesterday, the minister said that she will take the coroner's recommendations into account. However, it took years for the government to do something about DOT-111 cars.

How much longer do we have to wait for the minister to guarantee that another train carrying dangerous goods will not be left unsupervised?

[Rail Transportation, October 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the news in the past few days reminds us that immediate action needs to be taken. Just yesterday, a CN freight train carrying dangerous goods derailed in Saskatchewan. Local residents had to evacuate to avoid breathing in the fumes. The TSB has already come down hard on the government for its lax attitude and lack of oversight.

What is the minister doing to ensure that the rail companies are obeying the law?

[Rail Transportation, October 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the coroner's office released a report on the Lac-Mégantic tragedy. It recommends that no train carrying dangerous goods be left on a main line unsupervised. How is that even still possible, especially after the events at Lac-Mégantic?

When will the minister change the regulations and implement these recommendations?

[Transport, September 30th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the coroner who investigated the tragic death of cyclist Mathilde Blais was clear. If the truck that hit her had been equipped with side guards, the young cyclist would not have fallen under the truck's wheels.

My Bill C-603 would make side guards mandatory on heavy trucks. We can save lives.

What will the government do to protect pedestrians and cyclists?

[Champlain Bridge, September 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Minister of Infrastructure said that he was open to imposing tolls on the federal bridges in Montreal. That would mean tolls on the Champlain Bridge, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and the Honoré-Mercier Bridge. Once again, the government is making things up as it goes along.

Before even thinking about a toll and running the risk of making a complete mess, why does the minister not sit down with provincial and municipal stakeholders in Quebec and develop a coordinated transportation plan?

[Champlain Bridge, September 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP has been opposed to a toll on the future Champlain Bridge for a long time now. We are talking about a replacement bridge, not a new bridge. The Liberals are not opposed to the toll.

The entire region is against the toll, yet the solution the Minister of Infrastructure comes up with is to impose more tolls. Well done.

Can the minister at least admit that a toll on the Champlain Bridge would cause traffic problems on the other bridges in Montreal?

[Rail Transportation, September 23rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' approach to rail safety involves handing a blank cheque over to the rail companies. We saw evidence of that in the reports on the tragedy in Lac-Mégantic.

When the current Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs was the transport minister, special permissions were being handed out like Halloween candy. We hope that the Conservatives have learned from their mistakes and that they will be more transparent and, especially, less careless.

What will the minister do to make the rail line between Sorel and Saint-Lambert safer?

[Combating Counterfeit Products Act, September 19th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question for my colleague. He raised two issues. If he has the time, I would like him to talk about the enforcement and monitoring of the proposed rules and the proposals that were made. How can it all be improved?

[Combating Counterfeit Products Act, September 19th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Parkdale—High Park for her work as our industry critic and for her work on this file. I know that counterfeit products are a big problem.

The member mentioned cases coming from China, but what she highlighted and what was really important for me was that while the government is coming up with new regulations and laws, and we support them because they are a step forward, in practice the government is cutting resources.

We have seen it happening in transport. We saw it with what happened in Lac-Mégantic, where costs were cut with respect to the organization of Transport Canada and less surveillance. We also saw it with XL Foods, because the government has been cutting inspectors.

What are the impacts of government cuts with respect to the borders? The government is saying one thing, but its actions are saying another.

[Champlain Bridge, September 18th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal indicated, the issue of funding for the bridge must go beyond the simplistic application of the user-pay principle.

I repeat: the Minister of Infrastructure's simplistic approach is not viable. We are talking about massive traffic jams, billions of dollars in lost productivity, and low-income families who will be stuck with the bill.

Will the minister go back to the drawing board and change his plans to impose a tax on workers that will cripple Montreal's entire economy?