Evidence of meeting #137 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was rfp.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
That person will also have carriage of that issue at city council.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
Okay.
In terms of that process as it moves forward, is there anything the federal government can do to override city zoning?
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
To my knowledge, no. I think the planning comes from the Planning Act, so it's a provincial statute. I don't think there's a federal override.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
Only the provincial government can declare a provincial interest. The federal government has no planning authority over any of this.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
I think that's correct, but I'm not a lawyer. I'm a planner.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
From my experience as a city councillor, that's entirely true.
One of the things the Auditor General doesn't like about the configuration of Waterfront Toronto is that it has to be subject to City of Toronto rules and regulations and to Canadian law. The auditor would actually like to see it exempt from City of Toronto law, so that you had a free hand to develop this without any oversight.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
I'm sorry, can you say the first part of the question again?
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
The Auditor General recommends and suggests that it would be better if you had full control over all waterfront development and if you weren't subject to City of Toronto guidelines. Is that not one of her findings?
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
One of her findings compared us to The Forks corporation in Winnipeg, which does have those powers.
When Waterfront Toronto was formed, we looked at a lot of different agencies. We have the powers we have, and they do not include that.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
Two of the checks and balances on Waterfront Toronto activities were explicitly asked for by the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario. One was that the Province of Ontario be the controlling legislator on this. In other words, you are a creature of the province, because you're a product of provincial legislation, not federal legislation. Two, the City of Toronto refused to surrender final say on all planning and infrastructure investments.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
In terms of this leaked document that suggests that perhaps Google would build the LRT and then recoup its costs through taking a slice of the taxes, a slice of development charges and a slice of property lift on adjoining properties, the City of Toronto would have to consent to that one hundred per cent. The city has full control over whether you could even entertain such an agreement.
Chief Development Officer, Waterfront Toronto
Absolutely. I think the province would have a say too, because the tax increment financing is provincial legislation.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
As it stands right now, the preferred option of the City of Toronto is for the TTC and the City of Toronto to build the LRT—nobody else—only public transit built by public authorities, by the City of Toronto. That's the position of Waterfront Toronto and that's the position of the City of Toronto.
Conservative
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question, on a completely different subject, is for Mr. Leduc.
You represent many companies in the new digital age. Obviously, the Government of Canada has chosen to provide digital services to Canadians. Some countries refuse to use 5G technology from the Chinese company Huawei. Huawei's 5G network is used in Canada. Some Canadians have concerns about this.
Should we follow the example of countries that have banned or are banning this company? If so, why? Are we still safe with this technology? When the data is inside the network, it can be sent elsewhere.
Vice-President, Government Relations and Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada
At this time, Huawei isn't a member of our association. We refrain from commenting on the technology of a company that doesn't want to join our association.
February 21st, 2019 / 4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Does it not wish to be a member or does it show no desire to be a member of your association?
Vice-President, Government Relations and Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada
To date, no
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Okay. So you don't want to comment on 5G technology.
Vice-President, Government Relations and Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada
I can comment on 5G technology, but not on Huawei.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Does the new 5G technology enable us to protect the information of Canadians?
