Transport committee  I think you're right on.

Transport committee  Mr. Chairman, we will offer to come back after you have heard all of your witnesses. When the committee wants to ask us further questions, after being enlightened by all of the things you will hear, we will be happy to come back to have a further discussion. Thank you.

Transport committee  It's correct. I don't think any organization that is disconnected from its front line can be a successful organization, and that has been stressed to us by our minister, but to me as the deputy and Mr. Grégoire as the assistant deputy minister responsible, that is a critical issue for us.

Transport committee  I believe that engagement with the front line cannot be a one-shot deal. Our expectation, my expectation of the assistant deputy minister who reports to me, is that he and his colleagues will be out of Ottawa, on the ground, talking to our staff on a regular basis for years to come.

Transport committee  I believe upwards of 500. There have been 21 sessions dedicated to SMS all across the country. My colleagues, Mr. Grégoire and Mr. McDonald, have gone across the country, and so have I. It's important to stress that they did these sessions in small groups, because we can have 500 people in one room and we can't really have a debate.

Transport committee  In May he will be on the job for one year, so he has brought about a lot of changes in terms of the approach to his staff, which is a very welcome change. We're really focused on filling the vacancies. We have heard it from the unions. We have heard it from our inspectors. Having the right resources, the right amount of resources, is critical.

Transport committee  Well, we're hoping that flying unsafe airplanes is really not a good business.

Transport committee  I'm sure that the honourable member is really not saying that this culture is a business culture and that's okay and the government has to kind of oversee them. I think we're saying the same thing. I think we're saying yes, there are cultural issues, especially among the smaller operators.

Transport committee  We totally agree. Of course the inspectors have a big role to play, and we understand our leadership role in terms of instilling a safety culture in the aviation industry, small or large. That being said, the government resources and the government energy are not sufficient to ensure a safety culture in the aviation industry.

Transport committee  Mr. Chairman, we're not exactly sure what the schedule of the committee is. You hold many meetings. We do have staff in the room when the committee meets because it's important for our department to hear what the views of the parliamentarians are. However, given that you're going to have many witnesses, it might be a little bit easier on us if you hear your witnesses, and then once there's a compilation of the issues, we will be more than happy to come back.

Transport committee  Mr. Chair, the honourable member is correct about changes in regulatory approaches and about the evolution all systems in the world have been going through. In aviation, technology is a critical element in terms of ensuring safety. As technology improves, human error is reduced.

Transport committee  I'm sorry, I'm not exactly sure of the question. Are you asking whether we would support a whistle-blower office?

Transport committee  We always know who we're regulating. We have to understand their circumstances and their realities. However, because we're talking about aviation safety, certain things are not particularly negotiable. Safety of the passengers on an airplane is not particularly negotiable. How we approach them, how we regulate them, I think there could be flexibility in the system.

Transport committee  The government already has whistle-blower legislation with a commissioner, and there are avenues for government employees to go to. However, my view of management is that I'm hoping that before it comes to whistle-blowing, we have systems and processes in our department so that my colleagues who are the managers of the safety and security program and I, as the manager of the department, get to hear from our own people.

Transport committee  Thank you very much for that question. I will start, and my colleague who's the responsible ADM will expand on the consultations and discussions that he has held. Since I started as the Deputy Minister of Transport, I have crossed the country at least once, if not twice. Every time that I have been in one of our regions, I have spent time with our inspectors without any management present.