Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the ministers and the officials.
In order for the main estimates documents to be of value to Parliament and parliamentarians, they need to say what they mean and mean what they say. There's the inclusion here of a particular line, under vote 40c, that I've never seen before, in any main estimates documents, pertaining to Marine Atlantic.
It says the following:
(b) payments made by the Company of the costs incurred for the provision of early retirement benefits, severance and other benefits where such costs result from employee cutbacks or the discontinuance or reduction of a service....
Again, main estimates documents must say what they mean and mean what they say. That says, to me, that there are going to be layoffs and that there are going to be terminations at Marine Atlantic.
Now, notwithstanding the fact that, I could agree, there might be some new hires, 32 engineers and electricians have filed notice that they've been identified by the company, Marine Atlantic, for reduction, elimination.
Are there going to be any layoffs at Marine Atlantic? I want to put this question very precisely. Are there going to be job or labour force reductions for any of the staffing personnel at Marine Atlantic?
I'm not talking about new hires of stewards and so on.