Mr. Speaker, with the publication of the Transportation Safety Board report, the Canadian public has again been made aware of the problems of the deregulation theory that Transport Canada has been pursuing for over a decade.
In spite of evidence to the contrary, transport ministers from Axworthy to Mazankowski and on to the current minister have insisted that "safety will not be compromised". NDP members have always argued that without regulation and adequate inspection staff, safety would inevitably take second place, particularly when carriers are strapped for cash. In such cases maintenance is reduced, accidents increase and consumers are at risk.
Since the department's strategy is in question I suggest that the minister take charge and ask someone like Judge Moshansky, who reported on the Dryden crash, to do a follow-up investigation to see if Transport Canada's inspections are now improved enough to correct the shortcomings previously identified.