Finance Committee on Sept. 25th, 2006

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

I'll try not to.

I want to go to Jim Lee, further to your question, Mr. Chairperson, about training for first responders in the event of a chemical or hazardous materials problem with terrorism involved, etc.

You've been at this for five years. I've written to three different ministers--John McCallum, Jim Manley, Anne McLellan. Each time, they said, “Don't worry. It's all being looked after.” Five years later it looks like we've spent $7 billion in this whole area, but nobody's really been trained in terms of what you think is needed.

You've come forward with a cost-effective proposal, $500,000 a year. Am I missing something? It just seems so logical that this should be immediately acted upon. What do we do?

[Jim Lee]

Every time I either come to the finance committee or meet with the ministers, I think it seems very positive. I come out of the meeting thinking, “This thing is moving forward; I can just feel it.” Then it seems to get caught up somewhere in the bureaucracy and it just doesn't happen. As early as three months ago I had a meeting with the Emergency Preparedness College, and I figured, “Well, that was positive.” But here it's three months later, and I hear nothing. The clock is ticking on this one, and it's going to be a sad state of affairs when we have an incident and our firefighters, our first responders, aren't trained. And we agree that with $500,000--let's not reinvent the wheel here, let's move this process forward--we can start training.

And it wasn't just us saying nothing's happening here. The auditor said it too, and she made it very clear in her report that nothing is happening in this area. So it's not good.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Just 30 seconds, Madam.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Thank you.

I would assume, then, that if this committee does anything, we need to reiterate this recommendation that you've been making for five years, and perhaps even try to pre-empt the budget process and get the minister responsible, Stockwell Day, moving on this immediately.

[Jim Lee]

I would agree 100%. And I think the Prime Minister is onside now, because we actually dressed him up like a firefighter and took him into the smokehouse and put him under those circumstances. So the Prime Minister of Canada actually knows what firefighters do for a living now.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Hear, hear.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Thank you very much to our panel. It was a most stimulating discussion. I appreciate your time here today and the time you put into your presentations and briefs.

To our committee members, we will see you tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

We are adjourned.