Senator Plett: Leader, for grain farmers the railways represent a lifeline, as they rely on this critical infrastructure to get their product to customers across Canada and around the world. Shipment delays translate to a higher cost to the grain company. The biggest loser in the end, Senator Gold, is not only the Canadian farmer but the entire world, especially in the context of the invasion of Ukraine.

Of course, we cannot fault the railway companies for this either, as so much of their capacity is taken up by Canada’s oil and natural gas due to this NDP-Liberal government’s efforts to prevent pipeline projects. Leader, why does this NDP-Liberal government not recognize the ripple effect this has on our supply chains and other commodity industries?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, Canadian farmers are anticipating significant harvests of grain across the Prairies this fall, if it ever stops raining. That is an encouraging sign, given last year’s devastating drought, and it is something that could help ease sky-high food inflation. But Canada’s top grain companies are concerned that they will not be able to get their shipments to port on time due to what they are hearing from major rail companies. In the annual CN Grain Plan, the railway company warned that it expects total demand for rail services between Edmonton and the West Coast ports to exceed network capacity during some weeks.

Leader, Canadian farmers have dealt with the same issue year after year thanks to your government’s inaction in addressing our critical supply-chain issues. To help with this, I note that your government put together yet another task force in March, but you will forgive us and me on this side if we’re not all that encouraged.

When will your government finally act on this? When will you finally give Canadian farmers the break they deserve?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): All Canadians are grateful to Canadian farmers for the work they do and the food they produce — not only for us but also to benefit our economy through our exports. The challenges facing farmers — weather, as you noted; rising costs; and the like — are well-known. The government has many programs in place, as I have outlined in this chamber, to help members of the agricultural sector make their way through these sometimes very challenging times.

This government will continue to take these issues seriously and will work as hard as it can to make sure that Canadian farmers and the industries they support prosper.