Steven Fletcher

[Canada Post, March 1st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, again, the premise of the member's question is wrong. If the NDP was serious about postal service, it would have supported our government's efforts to bring back postal service to Canadians when there was a postal stoppage, but instead, the NDP buckled and listened to the big union bosses and delayed mail service for all Canadians, not just in Quebec but everywhere. That hurt business, and quite frankly, it hurt Canada Post's long-term financial interests. Canada Post is still trying to deal with that fiasco.

[Canada Post, March 1st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that Canada Post is an arm's-length crown corporation.

The member also knows that there is the postal service charter which guarantees mail delivery to Canadians, urban and rural. The member should also know that Canada Post has the ability to deal with the day-to-day operations. The government does not get involved in that.

There is modernization going on at Canada Post. For example, the Montreal Victoria post office was closed, but there are 44 post offices within a five-kilometre radius of that location.

[Rail Transportation, March 1st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I reject the premise of that member's question, especially coming from a Liberal.

It is very ironic that a Liberal would complain about mobility issues when it was the Liberal Party that bought, on behalf of VIA, a whole bunch of rail cars that were not wheelchair accessible.

This government has invested over $1 billion to not only make the cars accessible but to improve VIA service throughout Canada. In fact, frequency between major cities has increased.

VIA is an arm's-length corporation and it does make decisions for its day-to-day operations. However, the fact is that some trains run empty, and that is not ecologically friendly.

[Rail Transportation, February 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, again, the member has his facts completely wrong.

Since this government has taken office, we have invested almost $1 billion in VIA Rail for new cars so that they could be made accessible. We have invested in rail track and the corridor between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. The frequency of rail service has increased, and that is due to the investments we have made. The rail service is better than it has ever been and that is thanks to this government.

[Airline Safety, February 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the same question was asked in French and an answer was given in French. I will provide the English answer, which is exactly the same.

Canada has one of the safest transportation systems in the world. It gets stronger every year. The number of aviation accidents has fallen by 25% since 2000 while air travel has increased significantly.

Foreign pilots, just like Canadian pilots, go through a rigorous selection process in order to ensure that they are fully qualified. Officials are currently reviewing this policy to see if reform is needed.

[Rail Transportation, February 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, VIA is an arm's-length crown corporation, which means the government does not have day-to-day control over VIA's operations. VIA makes decisions based on the number of people, the proximity of other transportation and so on.

The idea of meeting demand and supply is foreign to the NDP, but VIA is doing the best it can and is matching demand with supply. That is what we expect and that is what taxpayers expect, so why is the member against it?

[Rail Transportation, February 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, what the member is saying is incorrect. Our government has invested over $1 billion in VIA Rail to renovate trains, improve accessibility and upgrade tracks and stations. These are important investments that the NDP voted against.

The issue with the estimates refers to a single investment in infrastructure that has been completed. Things are going well at VIA Rail.

[Marine Atlantic Inc., February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, this is actually the first question since the 2011 election on Marine Atlantic, so that gives us an idea of how much the NDP actually cares about Marine Atlantic.

In fact, the Conservative Party, under my predecessor, the member for Yellowhead, and the current foreign affairs minister, conducted an investment of capital that allowed Marine Atlantic to acquire new ships and greater capacity. They are on time, and there is faster entrance onto the boats and off the boats. Marine Atlantic—

[Business of Supply, February 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I met with the Alberta association of municipalities, the Saskatchewan association of municipalities, the Ontario association of municipalities, the Manitoba association of municipalities and on and on. By far, the amendments we have made to the Navigable Waters Protection Act have been hugely popular. People appreciate it. We do not have the red tape, but we still have the same environmental protection. It has been a huge success. I would like to thank the member for bringing it to the floor. It has been a stellar, uber-successful program.

[Business of Supply, February 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, that is an interesting question. As the member knows, municipalities are creatures of the provinces. They vary in size dramatically, from Toronto to Portage la Prairie. Different size cities and communities have different capacities as far as being able to apply for programs and to receive the funding required. That is a concern.

There also needs to be responsibility at the provincial level. The member and I are both from the same province. We can think of at least one transportation line that could probably be better placed and the money better used.

It is incumbent on all of us to make wise infrastructure choices and to be extra careful with taxpayers' money.