David Collenette

[Railways, February 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that the National Transportation Act amendments were passed a couple of years ago. They have had a tremendous impact, a positive impact, on railway service in Canada. They have allowed the railways combined with the sale of CN to the private sector to compete in the North American market.

The hon. member should be shouting from the rafters about the fact that Canadian National Railways has now become the fifth largest railway in North America. That is good for all of us in Canada.

[Victoria Bridge, February 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, there is no confusion as far as I am concerned.

As I said yesterday in the House, I remain optimistic for a solution concerning the Victoria bridge, and I hope there will be one before March 1.

[Transport, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is correct in the sense that the railways are expected to follow the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law. I have every confidence that they have been doing that and they will do it.

On the specifics, the hon. member made an allegation that somehow the railways are engaged in this kind of activity. I will certainly look into that and get back to him at the earliest convenience. I do not believe that that is the case. I believe that they are acting in good faith and that they want to co-operate with Mr. Justice Estey and his commission.

[Infrastructure, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question because it gives me another opportunity to explain to the hon. member that we are talking about a $32 million federal contribution out of a total deal of $887 million. The federal contribution is not going to be factored into the tolling arrangement now being charged.

In other words, the federal contribution is not financing the tolls on that highway. I hope the hon. member can get that through his head.

[Victoria Bridge, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we are involved in discussions at the present time with CN on the Victoria Bridge, and I remain optimistic that it will be kept open after March 1, to the benefit of everyone in Montreal.

[Trans-Canada Highway, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have said publicly that the $32 million will not be factored into the toll regime by the private company. That answers the question.

I hope the hon. member can understand that.

[Trans-Canada Highway, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, this particular agreement was a normal federal-provincial highway agreement whereby the federal government paid $32 million to New Brunswick. It is a small portion of the total cost of the highway.

Subsequent to that the New Brunswick government decided, in these times of restraint, to engage the private sector and hence the introduction of tolls.

What I have said is that there is nothing wrong with the agreement, the rule under which this deal was made. There is a legitimate issue that should be decided on, how we structure future deals. That is something we should discuss in this House.

[Infrastructure, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, when one cuts through all the rhetoric I think there is a legitimate public policy question that has to be addressed and that is, in future federal-provincial agreements how are we to take into account the fact that tolls may be charged. I think that is a legitimate issue to be debated in Parliament, perhaps by the transport committee.

The hon. member opposite should not confuse public policy with an attempt to smear an individual, a former member of this House.

[Highways, February 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, once we cut through the hyperbole of the hon. member for Saint John there is at least a decent question, which is what is the future way to finance Canada's highways. There was a report before the House of Commons a year or so ago. That report is being looked at as to how the private sector can become involved in the rebuilding of Canada's highway system.

[Highways, February 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we have entered into an agreement with the province of New Brunswick and that agreement will be respected.

There is a federal-provincial task force of deputy transport ministers that is looking into the very question of the application of tolls in private-public partnerships in our highway rebuilding. I have asked that task force to examine this very carefully to ensure that all of the concerns of the hon. member and anyone else about tolls and these arrangements are addressed.