House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 54% of the vote.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I just want to repeat that we are very conscious of the impact this is having on dairy farmers, on egg farmers, on chicken farmers, on all farmers, including grain farmers as well. We are tracking that on a daily basis so we have an accurate assessment of the impact, which is considerable. That is why we are working so hard to resolve this problem.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleague from B.C. that we are very aware of the impact that this is having on egg farmers, on grain farmers and on chicken farmers. We certainly understand the impact that it is having, and it is a big impact. We recognize that and we are tracking it on a daily basis. That is why it is—
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleague that we take our responsibilities very seriously. We know that we have to address this issue because we are aware of the economic impact on Canadians, on the people who live in her riding, in the south shore and across Canada. That is why we are working very hard to resolve the issue the right way, through dialogue, so that we can find a long-term, lasting way to solve this problem.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague and his constituents that we fully understand the impact of these blockades. It is hitting some people hard, particularly those who have been laid off, but also those who are experiencing shortages of important commodities because the railways are not operating. That is precisely why we are working very hard and as quickly as we can to resolve this issue so that the trains can start running again as soon as possible.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, we are following, extremely closely, the impact that this is having not only on the Canadian economy but also as it is touching individual Canadians. In some cases, there have been layoffs in certain locations with certain companies because of the fact that the trains are not moving.
That is why we are working even harder to bring this to a resolution as quickly as possible, but to do it the right way, to do it through dialogue, peacefully and as quickly as possible.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, we are well aware of how important the railway is for transporting grain, especially grain from certain provinces in the country, to our ports for export.
We understand our farmers' anxiety over this serious problem. That is why we are working very hard to resolve this problem as quickly as possible in a peaceful and long-term way.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, we are very fully conscious of the impact of these blockades on the country. Yes, they are costing us quite a bit. There is no question about it. Because of the slowdowns and certain products not getting to their destinations, because certain people have had to be laid off, and because certain materials are in critical shortage at this point, we are aware of the fact that there is a significant impact due to the blockages.
That is why we are working very hard to resolve this peacefully through dialogue as soon as possible.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, again, perhaps my colleague did not quite understand the answer.
We are well aware that VIA Rail's passenger train service is very important, not only for tourism, but also for travellers, like me, who travel every week to work and then back home at the end of the week.
We want to resolve this issue as soon as possible. The good news is that some trains are running right now. We are working very hard to restore all rail service, not just in the corridor, but across the country.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, we are well aware of the impact of having some VIA Rail trains out of service.
The good news is that some trains are currently running between Montreal and Ottawa and between Toronto and Windsor. There are two that have been running non-stop between The Pas and Churchill, Manitoba, as well as between White River and Sudbury, in northern Ontario.
We would like to have them all running full time. That is our goal, and we are working very hard to make this happen as soon as possible.
The Economy February 20th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I—