Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Minister, earlier this year a report indicated that the Port of Vancouver is ranked as one of the worst ports for efficiency, coming in three hundred and sixty-eighth out of 370 ports around the world. In recent years, port efficiency has taken on a new level of urgency in the context of global disruptions and rampant inflation.

The inefficiency of Canada’s largest port coupled with the shortcomings of our rail system, as I mentioned earlier, are undoubtedly huge barriers to exporters and farmers and to Canada’s overall trade competitiveness.

Minister, does your government recognize the importance of this in mitigating inflation, and why is your government not doing more to strengthen our supply chains?