As for infrastructure, the markets can raise funds for transportation. Canadian companies compete with American ones for space, capital and growth. Eighty percent of Canadian trade is with the U.S., and the majority of the population lives within driving distance of the border. If the industry is to be competitive, the requirement for Canadian ownership should be rethought. Policies such as the Jones Act and cabotage systems will need to go.
Regulation can drain resources.
There is a need for it in transportation, but too much of it results in inefficiency. This conference is a step forward in helping provide managers of Air Canada, CN, etc., the information they require to run their companies efficiently. More remains to be done. The politics of Canada seem to interfere in all businesses, but nowhere more than in the transportation sector. Foreign ownership needs to be debated.