I did not really understand one aspect of the parliamentary secretary's remarks. He supported not enacting the regulations. He stressed the competition. I would like to clarify something.
Why are we focusing on the difference between foreign companies and Canadian ones? Am I to understand that the regulations for foreign air carriers and for Canadian carriers are different? Are companies subject to different regulations in Canada? Do we make a distinction between the two?
I am sure that those companies have offices in Canada. So Canadian law applies on Canadian soil. I am quite sympathetic towards the airline industry. Airline employees work hard and do such a good job. But I have to say that this is not fair for consumers.
It's unfair to consumers. Even though my colleague said it's not quite gouging, the consumers feel as though they're being gouged. The message being given is that the only way this industry can compete, if I understood your line of argumentation, is by being dishonest.
I'm not sure that's the message your government wants to give to consumers. They save up their money to go on trips. During the short time of the year they get off, they want to go to sunnier places. Canadian winters are really harsh. They save up their money and when they go to buy their plane ticket they just want honesty. They want to know that the full price is being divulged.
I'm not sure if the message you want to give to consumers is that the industry needs time to implement these regulations, when they've had almost five years to do so. There are cases in which industry can self-regulate, but I don't think this is one of those, and I don't think this is the message you want to give to the public.