Thank you very much.
As a federal government, we have really stood by airports in the Atlantic region and have invested heavily, as you know—and this all just came in July. There was $5 million for the resurfacing of a runway and related work at the Gander International Airport and, as you know very well, there was $10 million to rehabilitate two runways and related work here in Saint John. There was $8.1 million to rehabilitate Charlottetown's airport, along with the runway and connecting taxiways, and there was $9 million for the Fredericton International Airport, which saw a 33% jump in passenger traffic in the past five years.
We certainly take very seriously the challenges that exist here in the region and in other airports across the country. The London International Airport actually received a sizeable contribution in July as well.
I note that your recommendations—and this is not to take anything away from your brief—do call for increased funding. Every one of them actually calls for an increase in funding.
Are there other ways that the federal government can assist airports here in the Atlantic region, without spending more money? Are there policy changes, for example, or regulation issues that we could look at? Is there anything along those lines that would make airports more competitive as well?