Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thanks to all of you for being here today. I'm sure that all of you share with Transport Canada and with all members of this government a common goal of continually improving airline safety.
During testimony we had from Transport Canada department witnesses last month, I particularly remember Marc Grégoire, the assistant deputy minister, informing this committee of the seriousness with which the department takes its oversight role. I believe he mentioned that three-quarters of the department's budget is dedicated to safety and oversight. He also noted how Transport Canada, as Mr. Barone of CBAA stated in his opening remarks, is considered a world leader in safety management systems.
When the department was here, Mr. Grégoire himself said something to the effect that the world is watching Canada on this issue of SMS and that other countries were inspired by our system. But one of the most interesting things he offered in support of his claims that day was, I thought, mentioned almost just in passing. He said that Canada's rate of 5.7 accidents per 100,000 flying hours in 2008 is our lowest rate in the last 10 years.
We know that one of the ways in which you can improve on what you're doing is to know what you're doing well and what you're doing right and to try to build on that and improve on that. My question is for any of you or all of you who would be interested in answering it. If that rate is going down, what, in your opinion, might be the reasons for that, and what can we do to build on them?