Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by saying that I think the government's position on this issue is regrettable. The minister stated that the two parties told her that in nine days, if there was no agreement, there would be a strike and everything would shut down.
Is the minister saying that Air Canada has been lying to its customers? Take a look at the Air Canada site. Air Canada is even sending emails to its customers to say that there are no problems, that delays are no longer than 15 minutes, that everything is going well and that there is no cause for concern.
I do not understand why some people are claiming that in nine days, everything will shut down, while Air Canada is telling its customers that everything is fine, that there are no problems and that customers can continue flying. Air Canada is bragging about this.
Air Canada told the minister this. I have reason to believe what the minister says, that Air Canada said that. Why would Air Canada have said that? Because Air Canada wanted the government to bring in legislation to force workers back to work.
In reality, Air Canada does not have this problem because it emailed all of its customers—unless I am its only customer—to say that all is well. I have been receiving these emails and I am sure that other members here in the House have been as well. I see members who are saying that they have received them, too. I wonder if any government members have received them. I wonder if the minister received the email from Air Canada saying that everything is fine. Air Canada is telling its customers that all is well. And if that is the case, I will believe the emails I am receiving.
The minister herself just said that Air Canada told her that if the strike had not ended in nine days, Canada's air transportation system would shut down. However, Air Canada is not the only airline in the world. Air Canada is not the only airline in Canada. It is a private company.
Speaking of economic recovery, last night I took part in a CBC broadcast with a member who said that the government received a clear mandate from Canadians to make economic recovery its priority. So I asked this: if economic recovery is a priority, will the government give preference to companies that are going to reduce wages and make huge cuts to employee pensions? I asked if that would be good for the economic recovery and for our future generations. Our children, the future generations, would not enjoy the same salaries we have enjoyed. Why? Because former Air Canada president Robert Milton doubled his salary to a total of $14.7 million when things were not going well at Air Canada. The former president of Air Canada, Mr. Milton, left the country with $82.7 million. He left with all that money. He had no problems with Air Canada at the time. Yet, it was a time when there were plenty of problems at Air Canada.
I very clearly heard the Minister of Labour say that this has been going on for some time. Things are not going well at Air Canada. Meanwhile, Air Canada appointed a new president and is paying him $7 million a year, not to mention the fact that it is also going to give him a pension. The new president has nothing to worry about. He is going to come away with a guaranteed, set pension of $350 million a year.