Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I will be sharing my time with my colleague, Mr. Berthold.
I'd also like to thank our witnesses for being here.
First I'd like to move my motion, which I submitted to the clerk on Monday evening and circulated to members yesterday afternoon. I'd like to read my motion into the record, as it does pertain to this study.
That the Committee request from Transport Canada and the Privy Council Office any briefing notes prepared for Minister of Transport Marc Garneau for his meetings with Air Canada representatives on February 15, 2016, and December 15, 2015, and for Mathieu Bouchard (Senior Advisor, Prime Minister’s Office) for his meetings with Air Canada representatives on February 3, 2016, January 27, 2016, January 8, 2016, and December 15, 2015, and that the Committee also request any briefing notes to the Minister of Transport that served as a guide for drafting Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Air Canada Public Participation Act and to provide for certain other measures.
Quite simply, Madam Chair, the Minister of Transport was asked on three separate occasions on Monday whether he would provide any briefing materials from his department that informed his decision. The first time I asked, I didn't receive an answer. The other two times we received the following two responses.
The first was “I think the recommendations that came from the department have made their way into the act as it is proposed and which you are studying at this committee at the moment.”
The second was “If you would give us the dates that you mentioned formally”.
According to the minister's testimony on Monday, he or a member of his staff remarked that Air Canada was negotiating a settlement with the Government of Quebec and the Government of Manitoba and decided that this was the right time to introduce and pass legislation that would protect Air Canada from future litigation. To say that this legislation came as a surprise to all the maintenance workers present here today would be an understatement.
My intent in introducing this motion is to find out whether the minister received a single briefing note from his department recommending this option. I'd like to find out whether Transport Canada did a financial analysis of the impact of this bill before it was introduced in Parliament, because when asked by the Liberal member from Central Nova on Monday to quantify the benefits Air Canada will gain from this legislation, again the minister responded by saying, “It's a good question. It's one I would have to get back to you on. I think it's a big, serious question and I don't have the answer at my fingertips, but we'll look into that.”
The minister's lack of response to such a basic question makes me wonder whether his own department has provided him with any advice or recommendations on this matter. This motion aims to get the necessary background to Parliament as we review this bill. I hope that all members of this committee will vote in support of this motion.
Thank you.