Transport committee  I'll respond to the first part, then I'll ask Mr. Grégoire to respond. Particularly in Canada, when it comes to border issues, we're looking to see what different or new direction the new administration will take in the United States. Obviously the previous administration was not looking at a risk-based approach—I'll be charitable—but at more of an absolute approach.

Transport committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm very pleased to be here to talk about Bill C-9, an act to amend the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, which was last amended in 1992. As my parliamentary secretary highlighted in the House a few days ago, this bill seeks to improve the safety and security provisions required when transporting dangerous goods.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, every day more than 200,000 Canadians rely on the important services provided by GO Transit to get to work. Last week our Prime Minister, together with my good friend Premier Dalton McGuinty, announced that we will upgrade and revitalize GO Transit infrastructure.

Rail Transportation  Mr. Speaker, we are working co-operatively with the Government of Quebec and the Government of Ontario on this important initiative. Three million dollars have been allocated and recently we have awarded a contract that will update a study done in 1994.

Rail Transportation  Mr. Speaker, this government will do the study first and make a decision once that study is complete.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, I do not have any questions, just a comment. I share the member's commitment to wanting to protect the environment in the far north. I have had the opportunity on a number of occasions to visit the far north, and many communities in his constituency, where there are some of the great environmental treasures of the world, whether it is Nahanni National Park, which this government is working very hard to expand, or whether it is the significant amount of environmental missions that have gone on there.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to follow up on the speech of the Bloc Québécois critic. Arctic waters do not include only three territories located in northern Canada. Of course, a part of Quebec is located along the same sea. I appreciated the hon. member's comments. I will say, with respect to climate change, that we know from all the science that our capacity to respond through mitigation is immense.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, I did mention in my remarks the new icebreaker named after Prime Minister Diefenbaker, the new vessels for the Coast Guard, the resources going to the Department of the Environment for environmental enforcement and the new folks being trained to provide additional support.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, those are all good questions. Let me address them one at a time. Obviously, we are making additional investments in our Coast Guard with respect to capital and supports to ensure that we are in a position to do that. With respect to environmental enforcement, the government has included substantial increases in the number of environmental enforcement officers in the last two budgets, so we have more boots on the ground.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, we think it fundamentally will mean two things. It will strengthen our ability to enforce Canadian environmental laws off our coasts. That is tremendously important whether one is looking at the eastern Arctic or western Arctic or throughout the Northwest Passage. It is also another example of our efforts to assert sovereignty over Canadian Arctic waters.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from the Bloc for his comments. I am on the same page as he is. It is true that the fight against climate change is very important to the people living in the North and to all Canadians. I totally agree with the member opposite. One of the concerns is that we must take mitigation measures.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  Mr. Speaker, we are looking, with respect to infrastructure and in my capacity as Minister of Infrastructure, at public infrastructure, whether they be things like schools, highways or transmission lines so that we can get communities onto the grid and not using diesel-powered electricity.

Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act  moved that Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to stand and speak to this very important legislation. I want to thank the House leader for recognizing just how important this bill is for the environment in the precious north.

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, in these uncertain economic times, Canadians want us to work together to get things going, to create jobs right across the province. The Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Liberal MPP Leona Dombrowsky calls the funding that the government announced the most significant infrastructure investment that has been made in rural Ontario probably in the history of the province.

Finance committee  Well, the first effort is to cut red tape, so that we will require less resources per dollar out the door. The deputy hasn't come forward with a specific amount, but we've certainly indicated that we'll provide any support needed. Obviously there'll be a significant amount of work in the first six months to get projects approved and a significant amount of work in the last six months to close the files.