Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I too am happy to speak to Bill C-20 on the commercialization of civil air navigation services. In the final analysis, what we are discussing today is the establishment of a private air navigation corporation.
I think that the Bloc Quebecois has a duty to review the bill before us very carefully. After looking at the motions to be debated, I asked to speak. Although I was not on the committee, I asked to speak because I was a long time member of SOPRAM, the organization promoting the Montreal airports, which revolves around ADM and the Montreal airports. I asked to speak because I thought we had done a good job, especially on the motions before us today in Group No. 1, including the motions saying that safety must take precedence over commercial considerations.
Of course, the private corporation being formed will try to make a profit. I remember that, for ADM, this was often an area of concern. We often looked at safety versus deregulation, versus privatization, as there is a tendency to confuse deregulation with privatization.
We also realize that setting up a commercial, for-profit corporation is often done at the expense of safety. Even our American friends are asking questions about this whole issue, as we saw with the crash of a ValuJet DC-9. Investigators in the U.S. are asking if Americans are safe when these companies may be cutting corners on safety to make a little more profit.
We may wonder if, in Nav Canada's decisions, people's safety will take precedence over making a little more profit. As far as the safety of passengers, personnel and the public is concerned, it seems quite logical and right that the preamble to the bill should provide that safety take precedence over Nav Canada's profits.
I often like to give examples from my riding. In Saint-Jean, we have an airport with a control tower paid for by Transport Canada. What will happen the day after Nav Canada takes over? I made some enquiries today. Naturally, officials at Transport Canada are telling me: "Do not worry, Mr. Bachand. In any case, Nav Canada will take perhaps a year or more to consider what it should divest itself of, what it should keep and what to do with what it keeps".
There are about 50,000 aircraft movements per year at the Saint-Jean airport. Dynamair, a flying school, is responsible for the majority of these movements. Of course, teaching students to fly a plane means many takeoffs and landings. The same is true of the gliding school where air cadets attend glider training every summer. You will understand that the bill before us has an impact on my riding as a region.
I must admit that we are somewhat concerned about what would happen if, a year from now, Nav Canada said: "We have decided to make changes at the control tower in Saint-Jean. Air traffic will no longer be controlled by air controllers, but by people like those of the UNICOM project, for example". A single individual mans the tower and directs traffic. That is a bit on the lean side. These are not professionals like air controllers. They will have to call upon the services of the airport in Saint-Hubert.
This raises serious questions in my mind and in the minds of my constituents about the impact this bill here today will have.
What will happen to the flying school for instance if we no longer have air controllers at our airport? This is rather serious, considering that there are often three, four or five aircraft taking off and landing, not to mention the possibility of a plane from another airport entering the school's airspace.
We are right to warn the government. We agree on the issue of profits for Nav Canada, but these profits should not jeopardize safety. We also wonder about the other side of the issue, the introduction of user fees. Some of my colleagues just gave the example of large carriers versus small ones. This is the object of Motion No. 2. Industry officials in Quebec told me that the Association québécoise des transporteurs aériens would have liked to be represented on Nav Canada's board.
The minister at the time, who is now the Minister of Human Resources Development, said: "You are only a regional association". I happen to think that Quebec is larger than a region.
This was not good enough for the minister. He added: "See if you can form a group". A council of air carrier associations was set up. It included the Quebec association and several other associations in Canada. Some 800 companies were represented by the council.
After forming the council, these people asked again for a seat on Nav Canada's board, but the minister told them they could not be represented, because the work was already too advanced. People were upset that they had taken the time to form a council, only to be told by the minister that, as small carriers, they would be excluded from Nav Canada, that only Air Canada, Canadian and all the large carriers would be represented. The danger exists that Air Canada and Canadian will say that they want preferential rates, and that if Nav Canada wants more money it has only to turn to the small carriers.
This has an effect both on privatization and on control towers. There are also repercussions for users, such as the pilots' school I mentioned earlier, and the air cadets, who might be slapped with user fees. Right now, there are no user fees at Saint-Jean. Airplanes landing and taking off from Saint-Jean pay no fees.
This could have major consequences for an industry such as Dynamair, which could find itself paying fees for each landing and take off. These are the negative consequences. This is why the motion before us today says that safety must take precedence over business considerations.
In conclusion, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention remote areas. You know that, as Indian affairs critic, I am often required to travel to remote areas. These people are worried also, because air services are absolutely essential to them. I think that the bill before us does is neither satisfactory nor sufficiently reassuring for these areas.
The motions moved by my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois add the necessary amendments and safety for remote areas. I thought this needed to be said. I invite the government to join us and agree to these motions, which will increase safety and take account of remote areas in Quebec and in Canada.