A return ask by Mr. Ng on December 7 with respect to negotiations for the Arctic A airports.
On Tuesday, December 7, the honourable Member for Kitikmeot asked me if, in the even of a successful transfer of the Arctic A airports from the federal to the territorial government, how the Department of Transportation intended to operate the airports themselves, contract their operation to a private firm or further devolve them to municipalities.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Transportation has no special preference or commitment to any one way of managing and operating the airports it may require and remains open to all three options the Member suggested. Department, private or municipal operation each have their pros and cons. The department would look at each airport on a case by case basis and determine which method of operation seemed to make the most sense in the particular circumstances.
The department would probably operate the airports by itself for a while, at least until the inevitable wrinkles with the transfer were worked out and the department had become familiar with their operations. At that stage, it could begin to consider the best long-term operating arrangements for each of the airports.
Again, I want to emphasize that negotiations have only begun and, as I said to the Member, unless we get a good agreement, I cannot say, with certainty, that a transfer will take place at all. It is far too early for me to start making commitments about the best way to operate them.