Evidence of meeting #39 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was you're.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5 p.m.
Liberal
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Conservative
Jim Eglinski Conservative Yellowhead, AB
I'm just going to ask a quick question and pass the rest of my time over to Mr. Fast.
Stephen, there was a little confusion coming around when Mr. Shields asked you a question about the defeat devices.
In my experience in western Canada, many people were going to the defeat devices not to beat CEPA but in frustration about the trucks breaking down and their not being able to provide a service to their customers, or not being able to get home or get the load there. I just want to see whether that's the feeling you find across Canada. Most of them were doing it just out of frustration with the manufacturers not having a good product out for awhile.
5 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
I would characterize that as correct.
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Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Thank you.
I have a further question for Mr. Laskowski. There was a question earlier on electronic log-in devices. They're presently not mandatory in Canada.
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Senior Vice-President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
Yes. I'd say about 30% of the fleets use them.
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Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
All right, so this is technology that improves enforcement capabilities.
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Senior Vice-President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
It has been introduced, and it will be mandatory and put into place for 2018.
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Conservative
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Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
All right.
Second, you mentioned the state of technology today and that it actually hasn't quite kept up with the requirements imposed on the trucking industry.
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Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I take it that the fact that you're making that statement here today at this table means the technology is still not up to date.
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Senior Vice-President, Canadian Trucking Alliance
You know, it's a question of not just being up to date but being able to function in this market. The U.S. trucking industry operates under very different operating conditions and in very different geographic conditions. The problem with importing our machines and our trailers is that many of them are manufactured in the United States and built for that marketplace. That is why our recommendations are in place. You need testing to ensure that a product that is brought up into Canada meets our standards.
As a simple analogy, if a car is imported from the United States, we have different lighting requirements under Transport Canada. The same thing could apply for trucking, with wiring, for example. There's not too much snow in Arizona and you don't have to worry about wiring your environmental control devices to withstand erosion; in Canada, we do. Let's make sure that what we're importing into Canada will work here.
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Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Okay. That makes sense.
Ms. Tingley, going back to strict versus absolute liability, under an absolute liability offence, there really is no defence; is that correct?
5 p.m.
Senior Counsel, Environment Legal Services, Department of the Environment
No, there isn't, other than to say it wasn't me; I didn't commit the offence.
5:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Would the administrative monetary penalties that our government brought in, which hopefully are going to be implemented soon, which Mr. Amos spoke so approvingly of, actually extend into the transportation industry?
5:05 p.m.
Senior Counsel, Environment Legal Services, Department of the Environment
They are available, or they will be available, for some violations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, but offences that would fall under Transport Canada's responsibility would be in a separate regime.
