David Collenette

[Airline Industry, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, under section 47 the Competition Bureau is very much engaged. In fact, I asked the bureau for its advice on the restructuring and that report should be coming to me in the next few days. It will be made public and it will be the subject of discussions at the Standing Committee on Transport.

This ensures the role of the bureau on issues dealing with competition, but the bureau does not have the statutory responsibility to deal with levels of service, the protection of employees, price gouging, or whether or not the airline is effectively Canadian controlled. That is why we put section 47 in place, so that the elected representatives of the people will determine the outcome of this matter.

[Airline Industry, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad that the Leader of the Opposition is adhering to the five principles that the government enunciated a few weeks ago. That is the outline of our framework and over the next few weeks we will be putting more detail on the policy, but we will not do it unilaterally. The Leader of the Opposition would be the first one to condemn us if we came in here with a policy, put it on the floor of the House of Commons and ignored the views of members of this House.

[Airline Industry, October 19th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I have always said that the government would consider any regulatory or statutory change that would enhance the viability and competitiveness of the Canadian airline system, and we will do just that.

We feel very strongly that not only should the government outline the five principles as I did the other week, but that we should seek the input of parliamentarians on this very important matter. That is why the committee is meeting. We will be guided on all of these issues by members of the House and of the Senate.

[Airline Industry, October 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that we are waiting for the shareholders of Air Canada to pronounce upon various proposals that either come along or will come along.

The market will decide on the corporate structuring, but the market alone will not decide on air policy for Canadians.

The members of the House, the Senate and the government will decide what is in the public interest and what conditions have to be put on any agreement that comes forward. That is a way that airline policy will be guaranteed for all Canadians.

[Air Transportation, October 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there have been no changes in the arguments that led the government to invoke section 47.

I believe the hon. member has raised a good question but, with all due respect, I suggest he raise it with Mr. Benson during the transport committee meetings if he wants the right answer.

[Air Transportation, October 15th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, yes, the Canadian Transportation Agency is mandated to examine the conditional agreement accepted by Air Canada's shareholders. And I have no doubts that the agency will protect the interests of Canadians, and that it will protect the Canadian industry so that it will be operated by Canadians in Canada.

[Air Transportation, October 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, under section 47, which we use, the Competition Bureau is engaged. In fact it is giving us advice on restructuring and that advice will be made available within the next couple of weeks and certainly will be made public.

The fact is that the Competition Bureau's role is one that has been underlined. It is still there and it will still be involved in any consideration.

As to any specific agreement, I do not believe that it is my role to talk about any proposal that is now before the shareholders of a private company. When that company decides, when the shareholders decide, then the government will act in the public interest.

[Air Transportation, October 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, it became quite evident over the last few months that Canadian Airlines was in trouble. It either needed a cash injection from the government, in other words a bailout, or we had to let it slide into insolvency or we had to find another way to solve the problem.

We invoked section 47 which allows us to find market driven solutions but which also allows the government and parliament to pronounce upon any agreement that comes forward with shareholders and to set conditions in the public interest. I have enunciated five principles. I said them yesterday and I could say them again, but the government will do what is in the best interest of Canadians.

[Airline Industry, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, to make the assertion the hon. member does about deregulation is a very facile way to approach the debate.

Deregulation had many successes but there is no question that severe problems have occurred in the last few years especially with one company, Canadian Airlines. Those issues have to be addressed and addressed in a way that protects the public interest to ensure that as we go into the next century we have a very viable air industry.

[Airline Industry, October 13th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we have chosen a market driven solution as the option for us to follow at this stage. It is up to the parties in the private sector to determine any arrangements in reorganizing the companies.

Once the private sector determines that, and once a conditional offer comes to the government, the government will be fully engaged in making sure that the five principles I enunciated a couple of weeks ago are adhered to and that the protection for Canadians on prices and other issues in the public interest is rigorously adhered to.