Senator Dupuis: Thank you.

[English]

Hon. Renée Dupuis: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. On April 30, 2021, during the Committee of the Whole that was studying the bill to provide for the resumption and continuation of operations at the Port of Montreal, I asked the Minister of Transport a question.

The union representatives had told us that the strike had been called in response to what they perceived as provocation on the part of the employers. They also complained twice in their presentation during the Committee of the Whole that the real decision makers were not at the bargaining table and that they were not speaking with the right people.

I wanted to know whether the minister felt that there was an element in these difficult negotiations, which had been going on for years, that concerned the specific governance structure of the Port of Montreal. In response, the minister said that they were in the process of reviewing the port structure and that they were studying a proposal to modernize how ports are governed. He said that they were always looking for ways to enhance the governance structure.

Senator Gold, can you tell us where the Minister of Transport is on his review of the governance structure of ports in Canada? Can you tell us whether consultations have been held, what consultations are coming up and who is participating? What deadline has the minister set for completing this review?

Senator Dupuis: Thank you for that partial response. I would still like to know the minister’s timeline to address this issue.

A review is being conducted, as are consultations, but I would like to know if he can table the list of agencies consulted, the comments received and, most importantly, the timeline for completing the review.