Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Sheila MalcolmsonB次元官网网址檚 historic appeal to unblock her proposed abandoned vessels legislation ended on Thursday after losing a secret ballot vote in the House of Commons.

The results of the two-day vote were announced earlier this morning in Ottawa.

MalcolmsonB次元官网网址檚 appeal came after the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs blocked Bill C-352 from being debated and deemed it was too similar to legislation introduced by the government last month.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 disappointed the Trudeau Liberals stifled coastal community voices yet again, and voted to sink my legislation on abandoned vessels,B次元官网网址� Malcolmson said on Parliament Hill. B次元官网网址淭he government could have, like many other opposition party bills, heard them in the normal manner and voted on them in public and turned them down.B次元官网网址�

Transport Minister Marc Garneau introduced Bill C-64, an act on wrecks, abandoned, dilapidated or hazardous vessels and salvage operations, on Oct 30.

A second reading of the proposed legislation is not yet scheduled.

Malcolmson said she wasnB次元官网网址檛 consulted on Bill C-64 and called in B次元官网网址渋nadequateB次元官网网址� for dealing with the backlog.

B次元官网网址淚f the government would have plagiarized my bill and inserted all of it into their legislation I would have cheered and I would have been standing in front of the microphones endorsing their legislationB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� she said.

Malcolmson has both in Ottawa and local meetings in the riding highlighted some of the differences between her bill and the one tabled by the government.

B次元官网网址淚t doesnB次元官网网址檛 include any of the elements that coastal mayors had asked me to incorporate into my bill - vessel recycling, dealing with the backlog, fixing vessel registration, creating good green jobsB次元官网网址�B次元官网网址� said Malcolmson, adding that she plans to support Bill C-64.

Over 50 coastal organizations across the country, including local governments in Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Victoria, as well as organizations such as the Ladysmith Maritime Society, Union of BC Municipalities and the BC Ferry and Marine WorkersB次元官网网址� Union have all supported the private memberB次元官网网址檚 bill.

Another 27,000 letters as well as social media messages were been sent to the government over the past week asking for Bill C-352 to be debated and voted on as scheduled next month.

Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay sees merit in both bills but said there are many unanswered questions surrounding how Ottawa intends to tackle this widespread coastal issue.

B次元官网网址淭he federal government, in my view, needs to amalgamate both of them and they need to determine how theyB次元官网网址檙e going to fund it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥riginally they were using a fund that was for oil spills or pollution from foreign going vessels - thatB次元官网网址檚 not good enough. That fund is there for a specific reason and it isnB次元官网网址檛 this.B次元官网网址�

In 2014, Transport Canada assembled a list of 245 vessels of concern that were at risk of sinking, with 37 per cent along Vancouver Island. Federal officials are now looking to update that list possibly as early as 2018.

B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 react to this after theyB次元官网网址檝e sunk. We have to deal with this as an ongoing problem,B次元官网网址� McKay said. B次元官网网址淪omebody has to take responsibility for these vessels, cradle to grave.B次元官网网址�

Ladysmith Maritime Society executive director Rod Smith was in Vancouver a day earlier on Wednesday at a workshop that brought together officials from Transport Canada with those from marinas, port authorities and insurance agencies.

Smith said there is a B次元官网网址渓ot of goodwillB次元官网网址� from the government but that a vessel turn-in program is missing from its bill and increased funding needs to be top-of-mind.

B次元官网网址淚 think we said loud and clear that if the legislation is going to translate into action that there has to be some initial federal funding to clean things up because the cost is going be substantial,B次元官网网址� he said.

From there, everything from a fee associated with vessel licensing to a program where the provincial and federal government would match funds raised at the community level have be floated as possible solutions.

B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檝e got an issue that is this big, with this many people concerned around the coast, given the opportunity weB次元官网网址檇 find a way to help provide funding but thereB次元官网网址檚 has to be something at a provincial and federal level,B次元官网网址� Smith added.

The House will still hold an open one hour discussion on MalcolmsonB次元官网网址檚 bill on Dec. 6 but it will be not be followed by a vote.

B次元官网网址淎lthough we lost the appeal today, we made history by elevating the voices of coastal communities, and we pushed the Trudeau Liberals as hard as we could,B次元官网网址� she said.