Mr. Speaker, our position on this is clear. This situation involves two private corporations. This case is currently before the courts, so we will refrain from commenting any further.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 33% of the vote.
Air Canada April 24th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, our position on this is clear. This situation involves two private corporations. This case is currently before the courts, so we will refrain from commenting any further.
Railway Transportation April 24th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, we do not cut. That is aim of the economic action plan. We changed the numbers and we did not cut that.
My colleague is referring to the cut. We invested $923 million in VIA Rail in 2009 through the economic action plan. Surprisingly the NDP did not support this investment.
We will continue to support Canadian railways.
Railway Transportation April 24th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, in the preface to her question, the member made statements that are all wrong.
The last phase of Canada's economic action plan changed funding levels for previously planned infrastructure programs of known duration. We have invested $72 million in additional funding over five years, with another $15 million per year to ensure rail transportation safety in Canada. We will keep going. We have invested $923 million in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor to enhance VIA Rail services. That party voted against it. They do not have a leg to stand on.
Questions on the Order Paper April 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), under both the community and large urban centre components of the building Canada fund program, each Quebec municipality was eligible to submit project proposals that met the program terms and conditions for consideration by the Government of Quebec. The Government of Quebec then determined which projects could receive funding based on its priorities. Projects selected by the government of Quebec were then sent to the Economic Development Agency of Canada for Quebec Regions, which undertakes a review and recommends projects to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities for federal approval. Each project funding proposal was reviewed based on the program funding criteria and remaining program funds. For each project approved for funding, Quebec is required to establish a memorandum of understanding with the applicant confirming funding by the parties.
Construction of the Laval multipurpose sports and cultural complex was expected begin in early 2010 and end on December 1, 2011. However, the construction work has yet to begin and the project is now well behind schedule. Confirmation of the Government of Quebec’s involvement in the project has been delayed, as a memorandum of understanding has not been signed with the applicant. Lastly, certain factors suggest that the scope and scale of the project are much more extensive than what was initially approved. In light of this new information, the project is no longer the same as the one approved in 2009. A new project proposal that meets the program’s eligibility criteria must be submitted to replace the Laval multipurpose sports and cultural complex project.
In response to (b), Infrastructure Canada’s investments in sport and recreational infrastructure are intended to encourage Canadians of all ages to become active, and can also help high-performance amateur athletes train for national and international competitions and support major amateur sports events. However, facilities used to house professional sports teams, including major junior hockey teams, are not eligible for federal infrastructure funding. This policy is Canada-wide.
Transport April 4th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, our government is confident that sound regulations are in place to ensure petroleum products are transported safely along the B.C. coast.
In the last five years, close to 500 supertankers have been close to the shores with no accidents. All tankers arriving in Canadian ports are inspected by Transport Canada to ensure that they comply with all Canadian and international regulations.
Air Transportation April 3rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the member should check with the person who told her that, because I have received no such information.
There are several sensitive files concerning airports across the country, and our role is to promote aviation safety everywhere, since it is extremely important. In this particular instance, the facility has not yet been completed. Once it has, Transport Canada will ensure that all safety rules are obeyed, and we will continue to support developers who follow the rules.
Air Transportation April 3rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I will reiterate that the role of the federal transport minister is to ensure the development of a safe airline industry. We will not intervene in this matter, and any regulatory change made after the fact will change absolutely nothing.
As for the letter we received from the Government of Quebec, we are reviewing the options. It was interesting to learn yesterday, from the developer's press release, that there have been seven meetings with the mayor and municipal councillors. I find it hard to believe that the community wants no part of this when there have been seven meetings and the mayor and the town council have submitted seven possible scenarios involving seven different plots of land.
Signed agreements must be honoured.
Highway Infrastructure April 3rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud of the way we are dealing with the matter of the new bridge over the St. Lawrence. A lot of progress has been made. In the coming weeks, we will announce which company or companies won the contract for the environmental aspect as we continue moving forward.
For now, there will not be any tolls. However, during the consultation process that we conducted, a number of mayors in the region spoke to me about a regional toll. Why would we do all the work and spend the money without looking at tolls? We are going to consider every possible avenue. We will stay on course and deliver a new bridge over the St. Lawrence instead of complaining about it.
Air Canada April 3rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, of course we are very sorry that these workers have lost their jobs.
As we said before, Air Canada is a private company, as is Aveos.
This member would have us, rather than the companies' representatives, manage the companies. We have a legal opinion confirming that Air Canada is complying with the legislation, and we are going to let the people at Air Canada make their business decisions because that is what we have to do. Our job is to promote a healthy and safe airline industry and that is what we are going to do.
Aviation Safety April 3rd, 2012
Mr. Speaker, we are always working to make air travel safer and as safe as possible. Our actions deliver results. Since 2000, the number of aviation accidents fell by 25%. The Auditor General has confirmed that we are making real progress by being the first country in the world to implement a safety management systems approach, and we are confident it will be better.