Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Harder, once again, the citizens of Campobello Island have no direct access to their province, but have to travel to and from the rest of New Brunswick through a foreign country — the U.S.A. — where they are subject to both search and seizure.

The ferry service is and has been seasonal, so almost 1,000 Canadian citizens are vulnerable and continually subject to delay, interference and presumption from U.S. border guards. Their quality of life is seriously diminished by U.S. regulations.

My anger is not with U.S. federal jurisdiction, however, but Canada’s inability to provide year-round ferry service to one of its most famous islands.

This, in my mind, is a serious dereliction of responsibility. Senator Harder, when might the federal government realize they must help the provincial governments to establish a year-round ferry service to mitigate this situation?