Transport Committee on June 2nd, 2009

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, after Mr. Facette's testimony I asked the department to provide for me a list of funding that this government has provided to airports across Canada since 2005-06. I want to table it for the interest of the committee, just because of some of the comments he made. I respect Mr. Facette greatly, but this government has put a tremendous amount of money into airports across the country, including Toronto's to the tune of $2.4 million, for instance, in 2006—and even Fort McMurray's, in my own riding, Mr. Chair. I want to table this, if I may. It's not in both official languages, but I'm wondering whether I could get the consent of the Bloc in relation to that.

Monsieur Laframboise, I have a provision of funding that has been provided to cities and airports across Canada since 2005-06, and it's not in both official languages. Obviously, the cities include many cities in Quebec. I guess it would be in both official languages, unless there are different languages for each city.

I would like to table this document, if I may, but I can't do so without consent. Is that okay?

Merci.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Yes, we can table it and also have it translated and distributed. Thank you.

Mr. Volpe.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

I think the parliamentary secretary raises a good point. It's unfortunate that Mr. Facette is not here to address the issue; however, governments over the course of the last decade that he points to have in fact contributed to the infrastructure of an airline transportation system, just as governments from all stripes have contributed to a road transportation system, be it for auto or for trucks. They've actually even contributed to a rail transportation system, and they continue to do so.

So in one respect, with all due respect to the other presenters, if Mr. Facette's organization is focusing on how it handles its own infrastructure issue, I think the more important fact is not that it receives x dollars, or three times x dollars, or x² dollars from governments, but that his organization favours a multimodal, integrated, connected transportation system for a policy. I think he took great pains to say that it's long overdue.

I'm taking the parliamentary secretary's desire to show how governments have contributed to the upkeep of all of those infrastructures as an indication that, had he had the opportunity to gather the information over the course of the last dozen years, he would have been more than delighted to present it. We'll do with just a little tip of the iceberg, so far.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

Are there any other comments?

I will thank our guests today for their input. We appreciate your time before the committee today. Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.