Mr. Laframboise, the intention of the original motion was that it be Canada-wide. And if you'll notice, the phraseology said “into rail safety and particularly”, not “selectively” or “only.” But the words “in Canada” were simply to clarify that.
What I envisage is that we would gather statistics--we wouldn't do it, the statistics would be gathered for us--as to the experience, and we have some of it now in Ontario and other areas, in Quebec and the Maritimes. If there aren't problems beyond the ordinary, if there doesn't seem to have been a particular rise or the level appears to be okay in the other areas, that's one thing. But particularly in western Canada--and I have a list of incidents in B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan--where the number seems to have risen. In one instance, it's suggested that there have been ten so far this year in Saskatchewan; in 2005 there were nine. So it does not seem to be dissipating. It may well be that the primary focus of the inquiry would be on the west. But I did not want to exclude the other parts of Canada that might think we were not interested in rail safety in those areas as well.
Certainly, it is not meant that this would queue-jump over some of the other work this committee is already proceeding with. The one mentioned is your concern about the airport. Originally, when I first drafted this motion, I made a reference that it would follow Bill C-11 and some of the other priorities of this committee. This would fit in with the priorities of the committee, and it's not meant to supercede them. It's meant to ensure that when we do this, we establish some baseline information that can be used in future, so that we can reference back to it. If we do the reference work now, it's there. Five years from now or two years from now, this committee can go back and say these were the facts in 2006--the history. It can then determine...because we've had statements from presenters who have said things are getting better, particularly the railways. I'd like to see how much better they are getting--or, as Mr. Gow and some of the others made reference to, they're getting better but they may not be getting better fast enough.