Human Resources Development  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of HRD. The privacy commissioner recently described the comprehensive files about Canadians. I should like to ask the minister if she will provide me with my file, complete with the names of all government agencies that have accessed my file.

Royal Canadian Legion  Mr. Speaker, recently members of Branch 10 of the Royal Canadian Legion in my riding developed a resolution to make the veterans' independence program more accessible to veterans. The motion proposes to increase the cut-off threshold from approximately $17,000 of income to $25,000, more in line with the poverty level for Canada and only reasonable.

Canada Transportation Act  Madam Speaker, I will comment on the job that I do. I enjoy my job. I hope to keep it for a little while longer. This has been a very interesting process. The committee was excellent and it was a learning curve for all of us. I appreciated the chance to participate.

Canada Transportation Act  Madam Speaker, I often wonder what side of the House I am sitting on too, because last week the media had me over on that side for about three or four days and then they had me over here for a few days. Now I am back over there for a day or two but I am not going anywhere because I like it right here.

Canada Transportation Act  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the intervention. There are going to be two ombudsmen. One is the Canadian Transportation Agency's complaints commissioner. That is a unique position because he has the power to demand documents, demand testimony and hear witnesses. It is almost a quasi-judicial body.

Canada Transportation Act  Absolutely always for the better. There is still ongoing changes. There are some fundamentally profound changes even as we speak. If I remember correctly, just a short time ago both Air Canada and the minister were opposed to the idea of an ombudsman. Now the minister has come back with a very strong ombudsman, a complaints commissioner, which, in my interpretation of it, has teeth.

Canada Transportation Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to say that this has been ongoing now for some months. I really feel fortunate to have been involved with this because it has been an extremely interesting process. We were thrown into the middle of this airline merger when Canadian Airlines was presented a proposal to be bought out and then merged with another airline.

Transportation  Mr. Speaker, in the very first meeting of the council of Atlantic premiers held today, the premiers called for a federal highway funding program. Last week the minister announced a $175 million program for rural roads in western Canada completely separate from any infrastructure program.

Canada Transportation Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to these amendments. As I said earlier, this has been a very interesting debate all the way through the several months we have been involved with it. We have seen many changes and a lot of transition. We are seeing transition every day. This is a work in progress.

Canada Transportation Act  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise on this subject as we near the end of the great debate about the airline mergers and the changes to the Canada Transportation Act and the Air Canada Public Participation Act. I want to compliment the member for Churchill for her amendments proposed in Group No. 1, which include Motions Nos. 1 through 4.

Natural Gas  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to speak and I appreciate your help in arranging this time for me. It is a pleasure to rise to speak to Motion No. 298, put forward by the hon. member for Churchill River. The motion reads as follows: That, in the opinion of this House, the government should provide initiatives to deliver natural gas to unserviced regions and address environmental concerns and high energy costs.

National Defence Act  Mr. Speaker, when Government Orders was interrupted I was talking about the amendments that address the taking of DNA samples in the DNA Identification Act, which contains a list of designated offences which provide that DNA samples may be taken from any individual convicted of any one of those offences that I was talking about for forensic analysis.

Grain Transportation  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. Further to the $175 million announcement for western provinces' rural roads, what provinces qualify for this money? Will they be required to cost share in the money and who will distribute the $175 million?

Highways  Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. The minister recently announced a $175 million program to address rural roads in western Canada. Will the minister extend that $175 million program to rural highways in eastern Canada which also suffers from bad highways and has to compete as well as the western provinces?

Highways  Mr. Speaker, he says he wants to help the western provinces adjust to the new economy. The eastern provinces have to as well. Perhaps he could explain to me the thought processes when he is deciding how to spend the $175 million. There is a highway in Nova Scotia on which 50 people have died in the last six or seven years, mostly young people.