Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for his remarks and his hard work. We may not always agree with policy outcomes on the part of the government but I think we all recognize that the minister is diligent in his responsibilities.
I want to ask the minister about the new $24 round trip assessment on passengers. First, is it not already true that a very large share of passenger ticket costs are taxes imposed by government, the air transportation tax, the GST on top of it and that share of the aviation fuel tax which companies pass on to their consumers? Is it not true, for instance, that in short haul low cost fares a very large percentage, upward of half of the price of a ticket, is already taxation? Perhaps he would comment on that. Does this not add an additional burden?
Second, what assurances can he give us that the funds raised by this additional assessment, this levy, will be segregated and will all go to the direct airline security costs and those costs alone and that the funds raised by this additional tax will not be shunted into general revenues and used for other general government purposes? This is a serious concern we have when we look at way the EI surplus is managed. Perhaps the minister could address this. How do we know this tax will not be shunted off into general revenues?