While producers seem to be waiting forever to get their grain to market, it is taking just as long for Bill C49 to pass through parliament.
Bill C49, the Transportation Modernization Act, aims to make grain transportation more reliable, however, last week the Senate sent the bill back to the House of Commons for amendments for the second time.
MP for Battle River Crowfoot Kevin Sorenson says the timely passing of the bill is important for producers, but it is a complicated bill, affecting many industries.
“The problem with this type of legislation, although it is a Transposition Act Bill, is that it affects so many things,” said Sorenson. “We want this thing to pass. There were a few amendments we wanted, and we sent it to the Senate and they put in some amendments from different advocates in the industry.”
“You try to speed it up but on the other hand, there are amendments put in there, we just wish the government would just accept and push it through.”
He still is confident the bill will pass and hopefully, it will decrease the transportation issues that have plagued producers.
“I think it will get through yet. I have heard some say unless it gets through by the first part of June, it might not make it in time. I am still optimistic, but it is going to take a little bit of “water in the wine,” on both sides, from the Liberals and us as well,” said Sorenson.
“In a nutshell, it’s going to make sure our agricultural industry is satisfied, not just gas and oil,” he said, adding the solutions has many facets.
“Again it is another one of those things where a lot of the whole issue would be solved if we had pipelines for oil and not using rails,” he said.
