Agriculture Committee on April 13th, 2016

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Very good. I'm hoping that climate change will be something that we're able to discuss in further detail in other meetings. With an extended grain season, what does that mean for the crops? The pulses are up and wheat is down. We're going to be seeing a really dynamic change in the market.

I'm wondering whether Bill C-30 is in the way of any of that or whether it prohibits the modernization of the transport. Is it something that was a good stopgap but really needs to be re-addressed? Do you have any thoughts on that?

[Shawn Tupper]

As we've indicated, Bill C-30 was put into place to deal with a very specific situation. That situation has now passed. We've returned to more normal operating parameters.

Again, I think the act and the advice we got from Mr. Emerson and his panel allow the government to move forward in that exact conversation: what are the needs for the future, whether it's regulatory policy or investment?

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you.

If I can, I will share the rest of my time with Mr. Peschi...Peschiso....

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Joe.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

It's “Peschisolido”.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Sorry.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

It's a tough one—no worries.

Mr. Tupper and Madam Duff, thank you for appearing.

I'd like to follow up on some points that Mr. Longfield was making with regard to our infrastructure needs.

I believe it was you, Madam Duff, who spoke about a terminal and a loop track at Port Metro Vancouver. As you know, at Port Metro Vancouver there are a variety of terminals and a variety of uses. Can you elaborate a bit on that?

[Lenore Duff]

Yes.

Just by way of example, I was trying to describe some of the recent investments that have been made in the system.

What I was referring to was an investment in what is the Lynnterm terminal, where they're proposing to establish a grain terminal that will have a rail loop track that allows for the more efficient filling and unfilling of rail cars, back onto the bridge, and then back on the north shore.

That was just an example. There have been other investments in grain terminals at Port Metro Vancouver as well. In Shawn's comments, I think he mentioned that there have been two recent announcements in the press about building high throughput elevators in Alberta. It's by way of saying there's a lot of investment in the system that seems to be reflecting the importance of this sector, how it's growing, and how the system is adjusting to that growth.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

To get you back to the specifics on the terminal, is this a proposed terminal? Is it a terminal that has already been approved and is now in the process of being built? Is it being done by a private terminal company?

[Lenore Duff]

It is a private company.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

So it's all done; it's there.

[Lenore Duff]

It's not all done. There are still approvals under way, I believe.

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you.

Mr. Warkentin, five minutes, please.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

I do appreciate this conversation. I think it's an important conversation.

There's been a fair bit of discussion as to whether Bill C-30 went far enough or did everything. It was intended as a stopgap measure for a period of time but also to be in place until such time as the CTA review was completed. That was the second step to the program, to allow the minister to continue to have tools in his tool box if in fact the circumstances redeveloped, whether it be weather, if it be another bumper crop in the west. Those circumstances, those conditions, could easily re-present themselves this winter.

I'm hopeful. I'm the son of a farmer, and farmers are forever optimistic that the next year will be better and might be better. So I do think that is a possibility, and, of course, who can tell what the weather will be? We do know that the minister has said there is a time frame for the replacement legislation. The timeline is such that we know it will be consulted on through until the fall. We know the process for legislation, and sometimes it takes years to get legislation fully complete.

In your view, is there any danger, any harm, in maintaining the provisions of Bill C-30 until such time as replacement legislation is in place? Is there any encumbrance that that extension would place on anybody?

What I should say is, giving the minister the tools.... Obviously the rail companies are very uncomfortable with the interswitching provisions. I get that.

We're at the agriculture committee; I guess I should say I'm here to defend my agricultural producers. Will the farmers be poorly served by the extension of the provisions of Bill C-30 until the legislative replacement from the review is in place?

[Shawn Tupper]

I want to reiterate that these are two separate activities. The consultation and the move forward through to the fall with respect to the review is a different thing than the government's ability to extend the elements of C-30.

The minister has certainly heard from the agricultural sector. He's heard from other stakeholders in the transportation sector. The government is seized with the issue about what to do with the coming July dates and the sunset of C-30. I think I need to leave it to the minister and deputies to make that announcement.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

I fully understand.

I guess it won't come as a surprise to the minister—I can only speak on behalf of myself and a few of my colleagues—that we think the extension would be the right thing to do and would ensure that farm families are well served. We'll pass that information on to both the Minister of Agriculture as well as the Minister of Transport in many creative ways over the next number of days.

There's another issue that I wonder about, and I should know the answer to this. Which department owns the Government of Canada-owned grain cars?

[Shawn Tupper]

That would be our department.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

They are your department's.

Has there been any assessment in terms of their current state? What is their life expectancy? I know a number of them have been increasingly pulled off for maintenance issues. What is the lifespan expectation of that fleet of cars?

[Shawn Tupper]

I know the fleet is generally reaching the end of its lifespan, as was forecast. We are engaged in looking at elements with respect to whether we can extend that lifespan.

It is actually a program shop in the department that runs that. If you are interested in getting further information about the fleet itself and the status, we can certainly provide that.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

Would you provide that to our committee? I think that's something that's definitely on our radar.

We understand that this may be a major encumbrance in terms of farmers getting their commodities to market, and one of the weak links in the chain as we look out to the months and the years ahead.

If you could get that to us—

[Shawn Tupper]

Actually, I did.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

Okay, you did, very good. I appreciate the necessity to ensure that things are said correctly.

How much time do I have left?

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

You have 10 seconds.