Mr. Speaker, the member raised the issue of rents. Rents are of particular importance to the operation of an airport because if they are too high the airport will go broke, and of course they cannot pay rent on nothing.
I have to stand up for the city of Winnipeg and for the Winnipeg airport authority because the member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia does not seem to be speaking out on behalf of our airport in Winnipeg. The rent there has been a major concern because it will drive that airport authority to the brink of bankruptcy if it proceeds as planned by the government.
I note that in 1997, when our airport authority in Winnipeg took over, the rent was around the $900,000 mark. Now the government wants to drive it up to around the $7 million mark. Just like any tenant, if I am charged more rent that the apartment is worth or what I would pay some place else, I will move and the landlord will have nothing.
What does the member think about the government charging rents that are so onerous that in fact it makes it impossible for one of these airport authorities to continue serving the public and the city that it resides in?