Public Transportation

April 22, 2008

Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need to get more people to use public transportation. We need to get people out of their cars and, where available, into transit buses and other forms of public transportation. My first question is to the President of the Treasury Board.

An Hon. Member: Do you ride the bus?

Mr. MacDonald: Yes, I do, hon. member. Given that other jurisdictions have provided tax credits to encourage people where public transit is available to use it, will this government now consider adopting similar tax credits?

Mr. Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, we take a far bigger approach to environmental issues than whether someone is riding a bus. The bus systems here are run by the municipalities in the cities or the counties that operate them. If he wishes to know more about our tax policies, I would tell him to stay tuned here for about a half an hour, and we'll just enlighten him.

Mr. MacDonald: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the hon. minister's information his federal Conservative cousins in Ottawa certainly offer tax credits. Now, my second question is to the Minister of Transportation. Will the Department of Transportation commit to building a high-speed rail link between Calgary and Edmonton with one stop in Red Deer ?

Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, I think this hon. member knows we're in the process. We've just gotten a report back on feasibility and rideability of a high-speed rail. We're in the process right now of dissecting that report. We're going to be going over it. It will probably be released soon, once we see what it's all about. Of course, everything is on the table to improve transportation in Alberta .

Mr. MacDonald: Again, Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of Transportation: when will the public see this report that the hon. Minister refers to?

Mr. Ouellette: Mr. Speaker, as soon as we've had time to even look at it and see what's in it. Everything this government does is open and transparent, as you know, and we will make sure that we inform people about what they need to be informed about.