Mr. Speaker, I listened very carefully to the Minister of Transport who said that some significant investments of the order of $470 million are expected for airports, at least in the budget, if I understood correctly.
Also, I took note of the answer he gave to the hon. member for Rosemont earlier in which he said that he could not commit to a high-speed train project because a study was underway. I would like to point out to the minister, before I ask him a question, that all the studies on the expansion and upgrading of Jean Lesage Airport are done. They have been shelved and we are only waiting for the Minister of Transport to release the money needed to go ahead.
I would like to remind the minister that, in the Summer of 1993, this facility was given the status of an international airport. However, we are under the impression that this is only a token status, since Jean Lesage Airport is in rather poor shape, compared to other airports in Halifax, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. It only has a third of the space these other facilities have.
Does the minister intend to do something in 1994 to expand this international airport so it can meet current needs? There is consensus among experts in the field on this issue.