A Manitoba Conservative senator has urged other senators to quickly deal with Canada Transportation Act amendments that would give commodity shippers more leverage in disputes with the railways.
Janis Johnson opened debate on C-8 last week with a plea for speedy passage of the legislation.
The amendments would make shipper complaints against railways easier to lodge with the Canadian Transportation Agency, broaden the grounds for possible challenges and allow shippers to band together to ask for final offer arbitration in a dispute.
Johnson said the most important benefit for shippers would be a government promise to launch a CTA level-of-service review within 30 days of passage of the legislation.
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“Not only will this (bill) give shippers access to improved shipper protection provisions, it will trigger a review of railway service,” she said. “It is hoped that it also will encourage shippers and railways to resume discussions on a commercial dispute resolution process.”
Shipper groups, including prairie agricultural interests and elevator companies, have worried that the legislation will die if the Senate does not complete discussion, public hearings and final approval before a much anticipated spring election. The legislation has been years in the making and is finally close to approval.
The railways are expected to use hearings by typically pro-business Senate committees to delay approval.
An election call before C-8 is approved would wipe it off the books and leave it up to the next government whether to start the process again from scratch.
Johnson told senators the legislation will provide railways with certainty about the rules and correct a market imbalance that has created excessive railway market power.
Despite her plea for fast passage, there was no indication from the Liberal majority in the Senate how quickly the bill would be dealt with and passed.
