FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON – November 19, 2019
Chris Warkentin, Member of Parliament for Grande Prairie – Mackenzie, called on Prime Minister Trudeau to immediately recall Parliament to address the CN Rail strike, and the dangerous impact it could have on the oil and gas, forestry, pulp, and agricultural sectors.
“The strike at CN could have harmful and far reaching effects for residents of the Peace Country,” Warkentin said. “We need a resolution to this dispute to ensure that families that rely on work in the oil and gas, forestry, pulp, and agriculture sectors aren’t harmed by the transportation bottleneck caused by a halt to rail traffic.”
Rail transportation in Canada is a federally regulated industry, meaning that the federal government in Ottawa possesses the tools to ensure the smooth flow of goods across Canada.
“The government has a responsibility to act,” Warkentin said. “It is time for Justin Trudeau to get back to work and protect the jobs of hardworking Canadians.”
“Prime Minister Trudeau knew a strike at CN Rail was a possibility when he chose to wait till December 5th to bring a start to this Parliament,” Warkentin noted. “We’re dealing with a brutal harvest in the Peace Country as well as an energy sector that is suffering from faltering investment brought on by the Prime Minister’s policies. This dispute has the potential to make these crises worse.”
“Prime Minister Trudeau is hiding from accountability and is refusing to address issues that are top of mind for Canadians. It’s clear that he does not have a plan to ensure Canadian goods will get to market or to protect our agricultural, forestry, and energy sectors and the hardworking Canadians that rely on them for their livelihood.”
“I’m calling on Justin Trudeau to do his job and recall Parliament immediately.”