NDP’s rail idea won’t work, Stewart says
REGINA — An idea proposed by the provincial NDP Opposition regarding ongoing grain shipping backlogs is “very simplistic,” according to Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister.
“We’ve been dealing with this issue for a couple of months now and the answers, if answers exist, are not that simple,” Lyle Stewart told reporters at the Legislative Building in Regina on Tuesday.
“The NDP typically comes up with very simple answers to what we know are complex problems,” Stewart added.
The Sask. Party government minister was responding to an NDP media release that said too much of last year’s bumper crop is still sitting in bins and producers are taking hits due to backlogs in shipping grain.
“The provincial government needs to take action and a first step would be to immediately call on the federal government to enable joint running rights for rail,” NDP Deputy Leader Trent Wotherspoon stated in the release.
“Additionally, Saskatchewan should urge the federal government to put more pressure on the rail companies and to implement and enforce rail performance standards including penalties when railways don’t perform.”
Joint running rights permit any rail company to operate
“THE RAILROADS ARE PRIVATE COMPANIES AND THEY OPERATE THEIR BUSINESSES AS THEY SEE FIT.” LYLE STEWART
on any other rail company’s lines in exchange for fair compensation.
The NDP also wants a legislative review of the federal Transportation Act to be completed more quickly, the NDP release stated.
Stewart said the joint running rights proposal is overly simplistic.
“Nobody can enforce that. The railroads are private companies and they operate their businesses as they see fit. Unless joint running rights are in their interests as businesses, I don’t see them going there,” he said.
Stewart said he expects to have more meetings in the future with railways, grain handlers, port authorities and other stakeholders. Rail companies are “clearly behind the eight ball” and the backlogs are a “huge problem” throughout Western Canada, particularly with shipments of oil and potash also affecting railroad capacity, he added.
“I don’t know if they’re exactly sure what they need to do to remedy this situation at this point, but we’re doing what we can to hold their feet to the fire.”
Some progress has been made recently at the Port of Vancouver to streamline the flow of grain there, he noted.
“But more is needed. This is a very serious problem. Everybody needs to realize that there’s an increase in capacity … that’s needed for the future. This is a bit of a preview of what can happen when we don’t have enough capacity.”
In Ottawa on Tuesday, Regina Liberal MP Ralph Goodale called on the Conservative government to do more than study the problem.
In question period in the House of Commons, Goodale said he wants the government to require railways to lease more locomotive power and rolling stock for grain, to demand more transparency about grain export volumes and deductions from farmers’ cheques and to ensure overall coordination.
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said he expects talks with those involved in the supply chain to have an effect soon.