Transport committee  Yes, thank you, Madam Chairperson. I have just a few last comments. I think I have already stated this, but certainly you know we did mention the memorandum of understanding earlier. We are reviewing that right now and we are looking at ways to work with the federal government to make sure that there is a net job increase in Manitoba.

Transport committee  Thanks very much for your question. Again, I'll go back and reiterate that we would love to be able to support this bill. We're in favour of the modernization of the act and of the expansion of the geographical scope. We don't have any problems with that. The problem, again, comes in that area you alluded to.

Transport committee  Again, I think I go back to our main concern not being about legislative changes but about protecting jobs in Manitoba. Aspects within this legislation do have a negative impact when it comes to jobs and our economy. Again, I prefer to look at ways we can work collaboratively with other levels of government to ensure net benefit for regions, but as this legislation stands, there is no net benefit.

Transport committee  I want to thank the member very much for the question. Moving forward, our plan is, and has been thus far, to work as closely as we can with the federal government to ensure that they understand our perspective, which is that we need to do everything we can to protect the jobs here in Manitoba.

Transport committee  I think it is very important at this stage that.... It can be done as quickly as they want it to be done, as soon as there is that net benefit being offered to Manitoba. Right now we are not getting that indication from the federal government. That is why we are here today, because we are going to fight for these jobs in Manitoba.

Transport committee  I think the way it stands right now, our main concern.... Again, I have given you indications of the areas of the bill that we have no problem with. The fact of the matter is that we are not in favour of any amendments at this stage. We are opposed to the bill as it stands, because it has a negative impact on jobs in the Manitoba economy.

Transport committee  Yes, that is exactly right.

Transport committee  Thank you for the question and for your comments. We have been in discussion with some of the local cabinet ministers to express our concern with respect to Bill C-10 and to express our interest in working collaboratively with the federal government to ensure that jobs are created here in the province of Manitoba in all sectors of the economy, including the aerospace sector.

Transport committee  I think they want to work with us on this file. I think it's a matter of time. Today is the last day for presentations to committee, which is why I'm here today. I think there was an amendment by another MP from Manitoba that was brought forward to maybe extend this. From our perspective, this is really about Manitoba jobs and the future of our economic growth here in Manitoba.

Transport committee  I think we're in the stages of having discussions with our federal counterparts to make sure we can do that. That's the real reason we're here before committee today: We've just gotten into office and we're trying to make sure we can work collaboratively with the federal government and ensure that there will be a net benefit for jobs here in the province of Manitoba.

Transport committee  Absolutely. We think it would be very beneficial to our province. Again, we're in favour of the modernization of the act, the change in the geographic scope, but, as Mr. Rebeck said earlier, it gets down to those jobs and how that part of the act provides too much flexibility to pull jobs out of Manitoba at this stage.

Transport committee  Thanks. I think that's really entirely under the purview of the federal government and I don't think we'd make a comment on that at this stage.

Transport committee  Thanks very much. Yes, I look forward to working with you on this file. I think that we have a very diverse economy that's on the cutting edge of technology here in Manitoba when it comes to the aerospace industry. I think that we can be very competitive here. We've shown that we have been in the past, and we can be in the future, but when it comes to a bill like this, it's sort of putting the cart before the horse.

Transport committee  Thanks very much for the question. I'm sure you can appreciate that we've just come through an election and we're in the process of establishing how we're going to go about making some necessary changes here in Manitoba to reflect what we want to do to encourage foreign businesses to set up shop here.

Transport committee  Right, I know. I appreciate that. We need to look at a collaborative approach to making sure we work together to provide the competitive environment here in Manitoba that is conducive to attracting the jobs to our province. We look forward to working with the federal government to ensure we can bring these high-quality jobs to Manitoba.