Here is the problem. Our industry, which once belonged in large part to the government, was privatized, but the government continues to receive money. Our industry subsidizes the government to the tune of about $1 billion per year, while our neighbours to the south do not have to give their government any money. That includes passenger insurance fees, the excise tax I was talking about, and rent for the airports. Those three items come to more than $1 billion annually. That makes our industry less competitive, right off the bat.
The airports are not subsidized by governments in any way. Passengers pay for the entire infrastructure. The value of all the airports that were transferred in the mid-1990s has been assessed at $1.5 billion. Mr. Gooch will be able to tell you how many millions of dollars have been invested in the airports since then. It is likely billions of dollars, all paid for by passengers. That is why it is very expensive to fly in Canada.