Thank you very much.
I'm sure that the honourable member opposite, Mr. Watson, had no intention of indicating that the opposition in the last Parliament wasn't doing its job when he complimented us on actually doing today what wasn't being done then. But that wasn't his intention, and I'm sure it's nobody's intention around the table to take words out of context.
But I didn't have an opportunity to remind the minister, as I'm sure you as the senior staff will, that Judge Moshansky, in a response to a question by Mr. Jean regarding whether if they'd had the SMS they were proposing—and I quote him—“plus the existing regulatory oversight, the incident at Dryden would not have taken place”. Of course, Judge Moshansky said that it's very unlikely it would have.
There's been a campaign, I think, of trying to get at where this SMS fits into the spectrum of trying to do the right thing for Canadian safety, and people are asking some very pertinent questions. I indicated earlier that I had a letter here from DaxAir that was to the attention of David Bayliss, acting regional director, civil aviation. I think you probably have that.
If you'll permit, I'll just read a couple of lines in here, and I think when you read it you'll understand why some of us have to ask some of those very tough questions. It's not an issue about whether it's bodies that count and moneys that count, or whether the new computer systems give you a sense of greater safety. Maybe Mr. Reinhardt is right, you're trying to build a reporting culture. But a reporting culture without the operational audit that actually has teeth causes people some concern. I know that if I'm travelling at 5,000 feet or 35,000 feet, I don't want to be comforted just by the fact that there is a reporting culture.
Here's what DaxAir has to say, and I hope you'll be able to respond:
Transport Canada senior management are becoming rather free and careless with their use of statistics to justify our safety record and Canada's supposed “safest aviation system in the world” status. — Existing reports show operator deficiencies, which are not being followed up with enforcement action. — Many of your own inspectors know where the problems lie; yet they do nothing.
What's the value of a reporting culture if the regulator does nothing when the operational issues are raised and when non-compliance is underscored with impunity?
Then just some more:
You speak of more in depth oversight, yet in conflict with your promises, inspectors are being retired without replacement, training budgets cut and the national audit program cancelled.
DaxAir actually signs this letter.
Monsieur Grégoire, you and I had a bit of an exchange earlier. These are people who are in the business, and they're saying, “Are you trusting us to do the job that you're not doing yourselves?” That's really what they're saying.
They finish off with:
Based on our experience to date, change does not appear to be forthcoming from within Transport Canada.
You have to expect that whether it's members of the loyal opposition or others, we have to ask the tough questions.
So Mr. Reinhardt, Mr. Preuss, Mr. Grégoire, we asked this before. Is the SMS stand alone, without continued inspectorate, without the continuation of a very rigorous regulatory and consequential program, a valid way to go?