Transport Committee on June 1st, 2006

[Gerard McDonald, Director General, Marine Safety, Department of Transport]

Thank you very much, Mr. Minister.

With respect to the Queen of the North, I believe the question was what had we done with respect to the safety of single-compartment vessels operating on the west coast. First of all, I want to reassure all committee members that all ferries operated by B.C. Ferries have been inspected by Transport Canada and do meet all our safety requirements. They are inspected on a regular basis, and if there ever are any problems, we make sure they're rectified before those vessels are certified.

With respect to the Queen of the North accident itself, as you rightly indicated, the TSB investigation is under way and we're awaiting the results of that investigation to determine what future regulatory action may be required, if any, to improve the safety of our ferries if it's deemed that is required.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Preuss, on Bill C-6.

[Merlin Preuss, Director General, Civil Aviation, Department of Transport]

Do you want me to start with the flight attendants or Bill C-6?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Pontiac, QC]

Flight attendants, then Bill C-6.

[Merlin Preuss]

Okay.

On the flight attendant side, vis-à-vis Air France, the data would indicate that we're probably not going to learn very much from the safety board's report. What I'm getting at here is that in the case of the Air France accident at Toronto, Air France was required by the European regulations to carry a minimum of six cabin flight attendants. They had ten on board, nine flight attendants and one summer student, although only seven of the nine attendants were qualified on that aircraft. The purpose of the four supplementary crew members was basically to provide more service.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Excuse me. Are you saying, then, that you will not await the TSB?

[Merlin Preuss]

What I'm saying is that from my technical perspective, I'm not about to learn much from the safety board vis-à-vis this issue, because of the standards that were in place and the number of crew members on board. The regulations we're proposing here would in fact have us demand eight flight attendants. But the Europeans, in this case, only demanded six. So I'm not sure what I'd learn from the safety board on this particular issue.

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Pontiac, QC]

Fundamentally, what we're saying here is this debate has been going on for some time, clearly, and this incident, of course, is an element to be considered. But consultations will still be going forward.

I guess I can now pass it on to Mr. Forster—

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

On that, I will say 2001—

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Pontiac, QC]

Well, you asked four questions. Maybe we can let...and then you can come back.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

We will run out of time if we don't let these people answer the questions, so please continue.

[John Forster, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security Group, Department of Transport]

Thank you.

On the issue of rail safety, it's something, obviously, that the department takes very seriously. Last year we launched a very detailed and thorough audit, particularly of CN's practices last fall. They came through and gave us an action plan. We also put in measures to restrict their operations, in B.C., in particular.

Then late last year we launched a review and an audit of their safety management systems in CN and made several findings that we've given to CN. Their responsibility now is to come back to us with an action plan. They have given us a first draft that we've reviewed with them and suggested a number of areas where we want significant improvements made. We're awaiting a revised version of that.

One of the things we've noticed, at least for the beginning of this year, particularly with CN, is that main track train derailments are about 25% lower. Now, that's a short period to look at, so it doesn't mean we're totally satisfied with that. But we're working very hard with CN to look at their plans as to how they're going to rectify that. As we go forward, we'll review their action plan that's due, look at their revisions, and keep monitoring their performance very, very closely and inspecting how they're doing.

So we're playing that out at this point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

Mr. Fast.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

There was one question that I asked about the—

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

On the airline safety, I'm sorry. You have 30 seconds.

[Merlin Preuss]

On the CADRS issue?

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

On the civil aviation data reporting system.

[Merlin Preuss]

In terms of accessing that totally to the public, at the first pass there are a number of issues with that, starting with the fact that these are preliminary reports, not necessarily filed by knowledgeable people. Therefore, the quality of that information is suspect.

The process that's in place right now respecting the Privacy Act but outside of the privacy considerations, all that information is made available and that will continue to be done. But it's not a broadcast-type thing. There are people who are on a list right now and get it automatically and this can be expanded as necessary. But there is a question of privacy vis-à-vis a full broadcast, and of course there is also a serious question about the quality of those initial reports.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Minister, thank you for making yourself available today. I look around the room and I notice the standing-room audience, which is probably reflective of your star power. I can't think of any other reason so many people would be here today.

As with any changing of the guard, the stakeholders are going to have some concern about the direction in which a new minister is going to take the ministry. I understand you have some 17 crown corporations within your portfolio. Perhaps one of the most critical issues is the kind of management or leadership style that you'll bring to bear. That would bring me to the question and relates to the autonomy of these crown corporations.

I'm curious to know whether you support the autonomy of the crown corporations within your portfolio, and if not, what kind of an increased role do you see yourself playing in the day-to-day affairs of those crown corporations?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you very much, colleague, for your question.

I'd respond initially by saying the policy that is in place, of course, is governed by a number of pieces of legislation, particularly the Financial Administration Act of Canada, which indicates the way in which crown corporations should conduct themselves, and I'd refer the colleagues to that way of doing things.

I strongly believe the arm's-length policy that is in place should be maintained, but I would add--and this is something I had learned in the Quebec National Assembly when I was a minister in Mr. Bourassa's cabinet, and particularly with Quebec today--on a yearly basis we would deliver mandate letters to the chairman of the board so that the chairman of the board would be in a position to not only receive this mandate letter, but at the same time be able to execute it on the short-, medium-, and long-term plan that as a government we would want them to do. Let's be clear on some examples here.

If we strenuously, as a government and also as parliamentarians, determine that vis-à-vis such and such a crown corporation we should be telling them to go in one direction and that is the direction the government supports, I would be sending a letter to the chair of that crown corporation indicating to him or her that it is the direction I would want them to take under my watch, under my mandate. It would be up to the chair of that commission to be able to make sure that is fulfilled within the mandate of their executive officers in that crown corporation.

The second thing--and I've asked my officials to look at this--is the possibility of making sure that our crown corporations become centres of excellence, that we look at our crown corporations and become extremely proud of them in the way that Canadians and of course the employees who work in these crown corporations can view them. I think we have excellent crown corporations. We have excellent people who work there, and I think we can strengthen them and modernize the way we do things with them.

That is essentially the gist of how I would respond this morning on that.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

As I understand it, you're saying you would provide the broad direction in which the government would like to see these corporations go, but beyond that, you're not going to interfere with the day-to day operations of those corporations.

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Pontiac, QC]

That's correct, and after consultation with this committee and other committees that are required to be consulted.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Have you had the chance to meet with all the chairs of the crown corporations, or is that still ongoing?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Pontiac, QC]

It's still ongoing. I've had a chance to meet with, I'd say, roughly 80% of the crown corporations, as it stands today.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Thank you.