Mr. Chair, actually, I did tell you that I would refer to what the Liberals said at the time confirming the issue of private enterprise.
On October 19, 2004, Jean Lapierre, the former Minister of Transport, said in response to Ms. St-Hilaire, of the Bloc Québécois:
Mr. Speaker, I imagine that the hon. member realizes that Air Canada is a private company. I have no intention of taking over the administration of the company and saying that x number of jobs, a minimum level of jobs, have to be guaranteed. No minimum level or increment was ever guaranteed. ... But we really have to trust the management of a private company.
Of course, the member for Bourassa knows, with respect to the decisions we made, that I did not need to meet with Air Canada to carry out the legal analyses in relation to the act or to ask for opinions. Having said that, in my prerogative as minister, I requested consultations. I don't have to say when that will happen or when it was done. I will do the work in that respect.
I am not here to defend Air Canada. Air Canada has obligations and its representatives must comply with the act. As the justice of the Superior Court of Ontario said so well in his ruling last year, the obligation of keeping the maintenance and overhaul centres as set out in the Air Canada Public Participation Act was vague, probably intentionally. A judge said that, not me.