Marc Garneau

[Infrastructure, April 8th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, under the national trade corridors fund, we have funded 39 projects worth over $800 million.

For example, on 50th Street in Edmonton, we are now ensuring vertical separation between road and rail traffic. In New Brunswick on Coles Island, we are rebuilding two bridges to allow heavy traffic to pass. In the Lower Mainland of B.C., we are doing all sorts of projects to ensure greater efficiency in rail and car movement across that lower region.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my friend, our friend, David Saint-Jacques, on his first space walk.

[Rail Transportation, April 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a habit of kicking in doors that are already open. We thank Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, who did excellent work for five years. He did a great job and I thanked him personally. Cynthia Garneau will now be replacing him, and I am sure that she will guide us into the future with her vision to replace VIA Rail trains and work on the high-frequency train.

[Transportation, April 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.

Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 18th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, the Coasting Trade Act is intended to protect the domestic marine sector by reserving coasting trade to Canadian registered and duty-paid vessels. The act includes a licensing process for the temporary importation of foreign vessels into the Canadian marine sector when a suitable Canadian vessel is not available.

The Minister of Transport has not provided any exemptions given that there is no authority under the act for the minister to issue a general exemption from the licensing requirement. However, the act does include exclusions for foreign vessels to engage in a number of specific coasting trade activities. Responsibility rests with vessel owners to ensure they are eligible to undertake the excluded activities and remain in compliance with the act. These exclusions constitute deregulated activities and are therefore not subject to licensing requirements.

[Rail Transportation, March 18th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, we are reviewing VIA Rail's proposal for a major project in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. It is a massive project, but we have to do our homework. That is what we are doing. When we have something to say, we will let him know.

[Transport, February 26th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Kenora for his tireless work on behalf of his constituents. He knows that for this government, safety is our top priority. That is why I was delighted to join him at the airport in the community of Red Lake to highlight the new de-icing equipment and the new, improved runway lighting that is going to make the airport even safer. It is important for local residents, for tourists and for the local businesses that we will always put safety in front of everything at our regional airports.

[The Environment, February 19th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Steveston—Richmond East for his excellent question.

We recognize the importance of climate change and the need to encourage the purchase and adoption of zero-emission vehicles. Despite Tory negligence, we are proposing concrete measures. While the Conservatives continue to deny climate change, as we still have not seen their plan for the environment, we are taking concrete action to ensure that our children and grandchildren have a healthy environment.

[Transportation, February 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, as we said last November, we are there to help, on a cost-sharing basis, those provinces that are willing to invest in providing some of the routes that have been abandoned by Greyhound and that have not been taken up by other companies in the private sector.

That applies to all the four western provinces. We are there because we realize that certain people depend on the bus service; they have no other alternative. We will be there.

[Public Transportation, January 28th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we fully recognize that, when Greyhound departed at the end of October last year, it would leave an absence of public transportation in the western provinces, and we immediately started working on a solution. We are working with the provinces, including British Columbia, my colleague's home province. We will be there if they request us to help them on a cost-sharing basis. We have given that undertaking.

[Rail Transportation, December 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that La Pocatière is getting $500 million for the AZUR train contract.

It is also important to remember that we need to spend taxpayers' money responsibly. That is an obligation that we have. In this case, VIA Rail chose the best product in terms of cost, quality and availability. Taxpayers expect us to spend their money responsibly.