Evidence of meeting #42 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vehicles.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Steve Clark  Director, Fleet Management, Canada Post Corporation
Todd Mouw  Vice-President, Alternative Fuels, Roush Cleantech
Cameron Stewart  President, Maxquip

10 a.m.

NDP

Isabelle Morin NDP Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC

One hundred percent?

10 a.m.

Vice-President, Alternative Fuels, Roush Cleantech

Todd Mouw

Never say never.

10 a.m.

NDP

Isabelle Morin NDP Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC

Thank you very much.

10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Thank you.

I have a couple of comments, and I think that will wrap it up for us.

Could Canada Post provide us with a forecast for its fleet for the next five years and how many of them may be propane? What mix are you going to have in the future? I'm not asking for it today, but if you would provide it to the committee in writing, it would be appreciated.

10 a.m.

Director, Fleet Management, Canada Post Corporation

10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

It's an interesting discussion. Our family's been involved with propane gas and propane for 35 years. It strikes me as unusual or odd, or whatever, that propane wasn't an alternative fuel 20 years ago, as opposed to having the discussion today. I don't know whether an opportunity has been missed in the industry or whether it's just been neglect by the consumer not to look for better options or different options.

You're being challenged, obviously, by many other alternative fuels right now. Given that you've been in the market for so long, I almost find it unfortunate that you don't have a higher profile.

I don't know if you want to comment on that, but, please go ahead.

10:05 a.m.

Vice-President, Alternative Fuels, Roush Cleantech

Todd Mouw

I would agree. I think it's neglect, public and private, to be honest with you. When you look at the last 30 to 50 years, the low cost of traditional fuels like gasoline and diesel have not forced us to look for alternatives, whereas around the world they have.

I would also say that, yes, we've been around for a long time, but the technology needs to evolve to support the fleets like Canada Post's, to make sure that it makes sense for them. I come from a Ford background and they were producing electric vehicles back in the 1910s and today we've not made much progress a hundred years later either.

So I think it's about having a public-private partnership and making sure that we use the resources that we have in North America.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Does natural gas give the same type of boost in power that propane does?

10:05 a.m.

Vice-President, Alternative Fuels, Roush Cleantech

Todd Mouw

Typically, it's a little bit less. It's gotten better over the years. There used to be a significant degradation in horsepower and torque, but now it's probably 10%. In fleet vehicles, though, they're not really going for horsepower and torque. But, yes, there's a definite degradation in power compared to liquid injection propane.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Thank you.

We appreciate your input today. We're on a bit of a tight timeline, but if you could provide any information that's been asked for as soon as possible, that would be wonderful.

Thank you very much.

We're going to take a brief two-minute recess, and then come back and deal with a private member's bill, a phenomenal bill.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Order, please. We're ready to proceed.

We have in front of us Bill C-321. It is my bill and I've checked with the clerk and there are no witnesses and no amendments that we know of.

In the last session, I presented myself as a witness, but since nothing has changed and there have been no changes to the entire bill, I'm going to continue to chair. If people feel there's a conflict, let me know and I'll remove myself.

The order of reference is An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials). We are going to go into clause by clause, but I'll open the floor.

Ms. Chow.

10:10 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Mr. Chair, I want to thank you for your tenacity and determination in getting this bill in front of us. It finally is in front of us. It's important, especially for people who are disabled or seniors who can't get to a library, or those who live in rural Canada and many small towns. It's important to be able to receive materials in the mail. It probably feels like Christmas when a book arrives in the mail.

It's not just important for small towns—though I imagine it would be critical for small communities—but also for the city of Toronto, because the reduced postal rate will have a $26,000 impact there. That's not a huge amount of money for a big library in the city of Toronto, but—

10:10 a.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

On a point of order, is that a positive filibuster?

10:10 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

No.

10:10 a.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

It's his moment for God's sake.

10:10 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

I'm almost done.

10:10 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

10:10 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Anyway, the reason I mentioned the $26,000 is that I went to my central library in Toronto and asked what kind of impact it would have, and that's the dollar amount.

I think that's very important and I'm supporting Bill C-321.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Mr. Coderre.

10:10 a.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Let's go to the question.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed

Monsieur Poilievre, the people want to hear from you.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON

Thanks, Mr. Chairman.

I was just going to move, with unanimous consent, that you're a wonderful human being.

10:10 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

10:10 a.m.

An hon. member

On division.

10:10 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!