Marc Garneau

[Agriculture and Agri-food, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we all want our western farmers to be able to get their grain to the global marketplace as quickly as possible. That is why the Minister of Agriculture and I spoke with CN and CP. We told them clearly that they were not doing an acceptable job right now, and we asked them to show us how they planned to address the current problems. Over the past two weeks, the situation has improved considerably, and we will continue to monitor their progress in the coming weeks.

[Air Transportation, February 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, for this government, offering more choice at lower cost with better service is one of our priorities. That is why I was particularly glad to announce the expansion of the air transport agreement between Israel and Canada. We are adding up to seven more flights on a weekly basis. This is not only good for moving people and goods; it is good for business and it is good for our strong relationship between Canada and Israel.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, February 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government that did nothing for 10 years, we actually brought forward Bill C-49, which, by the way, that side voted against. It was intended to have fair rail legislation for the movement of grain.

I was speaking to CN this morning and in actual fact, the amount of grain transported at this point in time is only 3% behind the average of the past three years. Last week was particularly bad, but the situation is improving.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, February 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the importance of an efficient and reliable rail system to transport grain for our farmers.

That is why we put Bill C-49 in place, unlike the previous government that did absolutely nothing for 10 years. I have been in touch with CN and CP. I was in touch with CN this morning. The month of February was particularly difficult, but at this point I feel that, looking to the future, the grain situation will certainly improve in the months to come.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, February 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the government certainly recognizes the importance of an efficient rail system for transporting grain, and we are working on that issue. That is why I was in contact with CN and CP last month and with CN this morning. We recognize that this is important.

February was a particularly hard month, but the situation is getting better, and I am confident that grain transportation rates will improve over the coming weeks.

[Rail Transportation, February 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, passenger rail service is very important to this government. As he also knows, we are looking at the possibility of a high-frequency train for the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.

We set $3.3 million aside in budget 2016. The study is not yet complete. It is a very thorough study. When we have the results, we will share them with everyone.

[Prime Minister's Trip to India, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister himself said, those reports are false. He never said any such thing. In fact, the Prime Minister has always been clear when it comes to Quebec. Fortunately, here in Canada, we respect diversity, and yes, we express differences of opinion from time to time, but we do so respectfully and peacefully.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, let me correct the hon. member.

For 10 years, the previous Conservative government did absolutely nothing for the farmers in this country except to put in place a band-aid temporary bill. We put in place Bill C-49 to give our farmers, shippers, and railways a modern freight rail legislation. We certainly hope that the other chamber is going to pass this bill as quickly as possible.

I would encourage my fellow member across the way to encourage his fellow Conservatives to pass the bill as quickly as possible.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the former government, which for 10 years did absolutely nothing except introduce a temporary bill, we are here for Canada's grain producers.

We have farmers' interests at heart. That is why we introduced Bill C-49. I hope that the other chamber will pass this bill as soon as possible.

[Infrastructure, February 13th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence.

We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.