Busy day in Ottawa this week – our MP should get his chance soon to speak on our behalf.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  April 22, 2013.  With a new Liberal leader in the House of Commons some changes were expected so it was no surprise when Justin Trudeau brought forward a motion to have the House debate how much time each member would have to speak on issues that mattered to them.

The current Harper government limits which of its members get to speak and what they are allowed to talk about.

Trudeau wanted the system changed so that members got their turn to speak based on an alphabetical rotation.  That was to be debated Monday but it appears to have been shifted back to later in the week.

One assumes that it will eventually get debated and that it will become the rule in the House of Commons which is very good for Burlington.  It will give our MP, Mike Wallace an opportunity to talk about two issues that are very important to us: railways and pipelines.

Happiness is an election map covered in Tory blue.  Mike Wallace, Burlington MP stands in front of a map showing where he won big.

We’ve not heard Wallace speak on either of these locally.  His job is to be in Ottawa representing our interests – and that keeps him hopping.

City council is looking into the significant number of deaths along the railway lines that run through Burlington – and with GO service almost doubling in June there will be even more traffic along that rail line.  Railways are federal issues – so Marvelous Mike should be able to help the city on this one. 

The Transportation Safety Board might be just the folks to help out here.  The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is an independent agency that advances transportation safety by investigating occurrences in the marine, pipeline, rail and air modes of transportation.

This simple barrier is all that prevents anyone from crossing the rail line.  just above

In her delegation to city council recently Denise Davy pointed out just how many people have been killed along the railway tracks in this city.  Some are suicides but better access control might help,  suggested this citizen whose son was killed in a railway accident.

The other issue is the National Energy Board hearings on the Enbridge Pipeline application to change the way they use the line that runs right through Burlington – between Side Roads #1 and #2.

The process of getting standing to appear before the hearings involves a ten page form which many felt was unrealistic.

Individuals and organizations can apply to be interveners or they can submit a letter.  BurlingtonGreen is trying to pull together a group; the city of Burlington is preparing a letter and a Hamilton group is preparing to intervene.