Mr. Speaker, the regions pay for their traffic. Is that the principle? How can it be, then, that the other regions pay for part of the traffic that goes to Newfoundland? This proposition represents a precedent, and one that makes no sense. He will have no reply to that, since he knows very well that this is true.
Capt. Tremblay, the Trois-Rivières port administrator, has estimated that the coast guard could save up to $90 million if the icebreaker fleet were better managed.
Does the minister not realize that it would be wiser to declare a one-year moratorium, as three-quarters of the witnesses have asked the committee to do, and to wait for the impact studies to be over in September, rather than to impose his policy before they are ready? In the meantime, some housekeeping could be done in the coast guard, for there are savings to be made there.