Hon. Jean-Guy Dagenais: Minister, Canada’s Pearson airport in Toronto and Trudeau airport in Montreal have been named the two worst airports in the world for flight delays. While the situation in Toronto has improved slightly in recent weeks, flights are still being delayed or cancelled. There are endless lines at security. Luggage is being lost and people are crowding into immigration waiting rooms.

Aside from the labour shortage, can you tell us whether anything has been done to find out who is really responsible for the nightmare travellers have been experiencing since last summer? In your office, who is responsible for following up on the changes that should be put in place to improve the situation? It’s not right that Toronto and Montreal are being labelled as the two worst airports in the world.

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Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Thank you, minister, for being with us today. My question is about airports and airlines. Given the size of our country, if we want to go from east to west, air travel is, unfortunately, the only option. This is a matter that occupies Canadians, including, I would say, people in this chamber, because I hear horror stories about how people have to travel from Montreal to Toronto to Halifax to somewhere else in order to get somewhere else.

My question to you is about the capacity of airlines and airports. When are we going back to a normal air travel schedule? What can you tell us?

Hon. Donna Dasko: Thank you, minister, for being here. I’m going to give you one more chance to talk about that great rail line that’s going in between Toronto and Quebec City. You have expressions of interest. Can you tell me which firms or partnerships have expressed interest in the project?

Also, just a couple of quick questions to clarify. First, is this double track all the way between Toronto and Quebec City? Second, how are level crossings dealt with in the proposal?

Hon. Paula Simons: I know that my colleagues who live in the Montreal-Toronto corridor are very keen to have a high-frequency train, and I know how they feel. I have a dream of a train that connects Edmonton and Calgary. I don’t need it to be high speed, I don’t even need it to be high frequency, I just need it to be there. I’m wondering, as your department is looking at other rail priorities, what you have to say that might fill me with hope and joy about the prospect of a study into an Edmonton-Calgary rail link or, indeed, a Calgary-Banff rail link.