Hon. Andrew Cardozo: My question is for the Government Representative, and it is regarding high-speed rail. I ask this as somebody who is from Ottawa and is very much in favour of high-speed rail that would come through Ottawa. But I am still concerned about the serious urban-rural divide that is developing among Canadians.

The rail, in the end, will be beneficial to big-city dwellers, whereas rural dwellers feel that they will be the ones who will pay the cost of the inconvenience. Many towns feel that they are being inadequately consulted or are not being consulted. Can I ask you to urge the government to ensure that they increase the consultation they are doing with rural communities along the route?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): The public consultations are already ongoing with Alto. There are a lot of benefits for all communities, either rural communities or urban communities. On the environmental benefit, it would reduce emissions equivalent to removing 100,000 cars from the roads, so it benefits every Canadian. There is strong support all over Canada, and 26,000 Canadians have participated in online consultations. The first phase of consultations has begun, and consultations will continue through Alto and the impact assessment process. The answer to your question is that there will be more consultations to come.

Senator Cardozo: Thank you, senator. Might I ask you to ensure that the government considers all the alternatives? So while they have high-speed rail in mind, they should also perhaps consider lower-speed rail that could use the current corridors, either the rail corridor or highway corridor, thus lowering the inconvenience to rural dwellers and farms across this route.

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Senator Moreau: I know you were present at the Finance Committee when the Alto representatives were there, and you already know that details of the precise alignment and timelines are still being developed and will be announced as the work progresses. It’s probable that, through consultations, they may be changed before the final alignment is decided. So I would ask all senators to be patient and to see after those consultations what the project will be before it is built.