Evidence of meeting #31 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was aveos.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Chuck Atkinson  President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada
Jean Poirier  General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Montréal, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada
Gilles Brosseau  Québec Coordinator, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada
Louis Erlichman  Canadian Research Director, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada
Tony Didoshak  General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Winnipeg, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada
Christopher Hiscock  President, Local Lodge 764, Richmond, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

It does not.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

So there's no section in the law that forces your union to represent the workers who will ultimately do the overhaul and maintenance work, and there's no section in the law banning Aveos from going bankrupt?

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

What's your point?

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

The reason I asked my question is that I'm trying to find out what you want the federal government to do with respect to the law.

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

We would like the federal government to at least respect the spirit of the law and keep the—

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

Please be specific.

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

—aircraft maintenance industry in Canada.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

Okay, what specific actions are you asking for?

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

I'm not here to direct the government to do anything.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

Presumably you have some—

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

Excuse me. Can I answer the question?

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

You just said you're not going to answer the question.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Mr. Coderre, you have a point of order?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Chair, could we show some respect and let the witness answer, please?

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

I was going to ask the witness to finish his comments, and then we'll go back to Mr. Poilievre, please.

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

Thank you.

We don't have a direction for the government. As I said, we're not here to talk about the law. Tons of lawyers right across the country will be dealing with that. What we really need and what we're asking for is some respect for the people who have been taxpayers, citizens of this country, have been working to keep the airline going over the last ten years.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

Point of order.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Mr. Poilievre, on a point of order.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

I would like to move on with my questioning. My question was what the union was asking for very specifically from the Government of Canada, and he has not touched on that question so far. I'm wondering if I can move on to my next question.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

I'll ask Mr. Atkinson to wrap up his comment, and then we'll go back to questions, please.

9:05 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

That's fine.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Mr. Poilievre.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

We asked these same questions of the unionized and independent public servants at the justice department. They confirmed as well that Aveos is not mentioned in the Air Canada Public Participation Act, nor is your union, and therefore the act, according to these unionized public servants, does not oblige Aveos to continue operations, or the government to bail out Aveos.

According to Air Canada, both equity and debt contributions to Aveos over the last five years have reached $975 million, just under a billion. It appears Aveos has burned through that billion dollars and said that even if Air Canada gave an additional $15 million to try to keep it alive, it could not do so.

Given that we've established that there's nothing in the act that would force Aveos to continue operating, and that there's nothing in the act requiring that your union represent the employees, that leaves one option if we were to want to continue Aveos's operations, and that would be a bailout.

How much money do you believe a bailout would cost the Canadian taxpayers to keep Aveos functioning?

9:10 a.m.

President and Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 140, Mississauga, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Chuck Atkinson

I don't think we're here asking for a bailout in any regard. We're asking for support from the government that at some point they would assist in getting someone else, another investor or operator that's interested in continuing the business of Aveos and moving forward so that our members who are out on the street have a future in a company that can carry on the business.

9:10 a.m.

Louis Erlichman Canadian Research Director, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada

Could I say something?

I listened to some of the testimony from the Thursday hearing. I wasn't here. I'm impressed with this $975 million figure. It was suggested, and suggested again this morning, that Aveos received something like $975 million. What in fact happened, and I think it's what even Mr. Rovinescu said on Thursday, was that a majority of the company was sold in 2004--