Madam Speaker, I listened with interest to the last question from the hon. member for Charlevoix. We, too, in Cape Breton understand how difficult that is. The cost of flying from Cape Breton to Halifax, a 40-minute plane ride, sometimes exceeds $700 or $800. It is cheaper to go from Halifax to Europe and back again, or at least one way, than it is to get from Cape Breton. With the decline in hospital services and so many other services that rural communities face, this is becoming an increasing burden on people in rural communities.
In the House of Commons on October 28th, 1999. See this statement in context.