Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport and has to do with the revelation of a proposal made by Railex, an American transport company, for the purchase of VIA Rail infrastructure west of Winnipeg on the condition that all current VIA Rail employees be laid off.
Would the minister like to take this opportunity to completely rule out at this time, on the floor of the House of Commons, in a very public way, any possibility of privatizing VIA Rail in western Canada and for that matter anywhere, but particularly given this proposal, in western Canada?
Could he also tell us when he will make public the recommendations of the task force that went around Manitoba in particular, that was conducted by the member for St. Boniface and the member for Churchill? What is the attitude of the government toward Railex's proposal?