House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2011, with 35% of the vote.
Airline Industry November 30th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, InterCanadian, a regional carrier in Quebec, is in great difficulty. But the Minister of Transport is still not ruling out the possibility of granting a licence to a new regional carrier based in Hamilton.
Could the minister just this once do his job and make a formal commitment not to add another regional carrier to Canada until the case of InterCanadian is satisfactorily resolved?
Air Transportation November 29th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, can the minister make a commitment not to issue any new licences to regional carriers, such as the new one Air Canada wants to set up in Hamilton, before the unfortunate situation with InterCanadian is settled?
Air Transportation November 29th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, close to one thousand people have lost their jobs or are on the verge of losing their jobs.
Thousands are stranded in airports. Some regions of Quebec find themselves isolated. These are the immediate consequences of the situation in which InterCanadian airlines finds itself.
Since this situation is the outcome of the Minister of Transport's inability to come up with a true airline policy for Canada, what does he intend to do now, in light of the urgency of this situation? We do not want platitudes, but concrete action.
Air Transportation Industry November 15th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, given his inability to protect the regional airlines, and his equal inability to produce an airline policy for Canada, should the Minister of Transport not resign, just as he did when he was the Minister of National Defence, since he is totally overwhelmed by the situation that exists in the airline industry in Canada?
Air Transportation Industry November 15th, 1999
Mr. Speaker, we have learned one thing from the airline saga: Canadian International Airlines is well and truly controlled by American Airlines, contrary to the spirit of the legislation on the control of Canada's airlines.
Since he has refused to fulfil his duty as a minister and has instead supported a project confirming American Airlines' control over air travel in Canada, ought the Minister of Transport not to tender his resignation immediately?
Air Transportation November 3rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, this is extremely serious. The government refuses to admit what it did but, according to this memo, Onex did indeed require that the government drop the 10% rule before making its offer.
Will the government admit that it knowingly gave Onex a leg up by promising in advance to amend the legislation so that Onex's offer would meet legal requirements?
Air Transportation November 3rd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, the government refuses to admit that it gave Onex assurances that the 10% rule would be changed, even before parliament was brought into the picture and before Onex made its offer on August 24.
However, a memo dated August 16, 1999, states that Onex was seeking a commitment from the Minister of Industry, the Minister of Transport, and the Office of the Prime Minister that the 10% rule would be dropped before going ahead with its offer. What does the government have to say about this?
Air Transportation November 2nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, we can see from the minister's answers that he is unable to present a clear policy on the airline industry.
For the benefit of parliamentarians now considering this in committee, can the minister tell us whether he had a comparative study done of both proposals with respect to regional services, and whether he intends to tell us about it?
Air Transportation November 2nd, 1999
Mr. Speaker, for several weeks now, in connection with the Onex-Air Canada takeover bid, we have been trying to find out from the Minister of Transport whether he can give those living in regional areas any assurances with respect to the competitiveness of airline services.
Apart from paving the way for Onex, can the minister tell us whether he intends to ensure quality, affordable services to regional areas or whether, in this same connection, he simply intends to go on lobbying for Onex?
Air Transportation November 1st, 1999
Mr. Speaker, that is not the question. The issue is commitments.
How can the minister deny having made commitments, when Gerald Schwartz told the president of the Air Canada pilots association, and I quote, “This angle is covered?” Who but the minister could have given such confirmation?