Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comment and question by my colleague the transport critic for the Bloc.
The minister and the government have indicated that Transport Canada and our government want to look at commercialization opportunities. Commercialization does not necessarily mean the same as turning over or privatizing so that the private interest is protected and the public interest is not.
The member will know we have already announced some measures such as the air navigation system. We will be consulting all the stakeholders to find out if there is a better way of controlling our air navigation system to make sure that safety is paramount, that all the stakeholders have input into the system, and at the same time save the taxpayers some money.
I do not have to tell the member why we need to look at opportunities for saving money. We have a deficit and a debt to deal with. The taxpayers also demand that this government look at every opportunity to make sure we are as efficient and as effective as possible, but not to give up the public interest.
We are not in any position to make an announcement as to how we will deal with Pearson. That announcement will come as the minister indicated and as I indicated in my speech. By the end of the year we will put forward our plan of action for Pearson, not only the administrative structure but also the plans we have for its future. We are consulting.
It is not inconsistent nor is it talking out of both sides of the mouth to say that the deal structured by the former government was a bad deal. It was badly structured. It was a bad process, repugnant to taxpayers. The detail and substance of the deal were bad and not in good public interest.
We do not intend to make the same mistakes. We have learned from other people's mistakes, hopefully. We will put together a plan for Pearson, other airports, other modes of transportation, be it the seaway, be it rail, be it marine, be it highways, to work in co-operation with all the stakeholders, the provinces, municipalities, communities, anyone we have to, to make sure that Canada has the most effective, efficient, integrated transportation system to serve Canadians.
At the end of the day Canadians have to compete with the Americans, with the Mexicans, with the global community. Unless we can move goods and people as efficiently as we possibly can and at the best costs we cannot compete. If we cannot compete we do not have jobs and if we do not have jobs we have economic and social problems.
I would hope that commercialization is not a bad word. It is an opportunity that the government wants to look at to see how much more efficient and effective we can be in all modes of transportation.