Evidence of meeting #145 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jen O'Donoughue  Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Jeffery Hutchinson  Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Timothy Sargent  Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Mario Pelletier  Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Andy Smith  Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Adam Burns  Director General, Fisheries Resource Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Mark Waddell  Director General, Fisheries and Licence Policy, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Philippe Morel  Assistant Deputy Minister, Aquatic Ecosystems Sector, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

That's correct.

3:50 p.m.

Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Jeffery Hutchinson

Yes, and in a time frame that we'll work out with the clerk.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Thank you.

Minister, the Canadian Coast Guard has a need for an interim light icebreaker. We understand the minister received an unsolicited proposal for a Canadian-registered light icebreaker, the MV Arcticaborg, for charter or purchase. We also understand that this vessel is available in Vancouver and can serve the western Arctic this summer, where the Canadian Coast Guard has many operational gaps, including the inability to operate in shallow waters or readily respond to grounding or an oil spill. We also understand that Canada has until the end of this month to respond to its offer or lose this vessel to a company from Russia, also interested in the vessel.

Given our extreme shortage of icebreaking assets, will the minister please advise why he's not acting on this opportunity and why the bureaucracy refuses to even view this vessel?

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

First I would challenge the last part of your statement. We are not extremely short of icebreaking capacity, that is simply false. I'm certainly hoping you're not intending to say we should be skipping a process for large-scale procurement.

We are going to work through the process to ensure that the needs of the Canadian Coast Guard are met.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Are you acting on this?

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

We are ensuring that we are moving forward in a proper and appropriate process.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Thank you.

Minister, the construction of the CCGS Diefenbaker has been deferred indefinitely. Canada's only large Arctic icebreaker, the Louis S. St-Laurent, is over 53 years old. Can the minister advise why the government is not seeking Davie Shipbuilding to either build this ship directly or subcontract to Seaspan?

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

The Canadian Coast Guard has done an assessment of all of its requirements on a go-forward basis. We have certainly spent lots of time on that, as well as on options, with respect to how we will fill the various needs we have, over time.

We are in the process of completing that work—

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Minister, can we get a copy of the marine assessment that the Canadian Coast Guard—

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

We are still in the process of completing that work. At some point, it will be public.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Minister, members of this committee have noticed that the Canadian Coast Guard has had two recent commissioners who have not attended Canadian Coast Guard College. Can you tell us when the Canadian Coast Guard will get a commissioner who has actually attended Canadian Coast Guard College?

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

That's a pretty cheesy question.

I am fully comfortable that the commissioner and the senior management of the Coast Guard are fully capable and equipped to do their jobs.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Mr. Sargent, the department made a decision to revise the schedule of the OOSV. Will you table with the clerk, by the end of Wednesday, the full and complete operational and financial impact of this decision, including all of the positives and negatives, and a firm schedule for the delivery of this vessel, as well as the total cost?

3:50 p.m.

Timothy Sargent Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

I'll ask the commissioner to respond to that.

3:50 p.m.

Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Jeffery Hutchinson

We'll be happy to provide the information we're able to provide that answers your question. Some of it, Mr. Doherty—the budget, for example—is under review. We won't have a final cost—

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Thank you.

3:55 p.m.

Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Jeffery Hutchinson

—construction contracts.... We won't have a final date, but we can provide the implications of the rescheduling decision, and the programmatic decision that supports shipbuilding across the board. We'll work with the clerk on the appropriate timing for that.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Thanks.

Mr. Sargent, the department has agreed to push the date further back for construction and delivery of the polar class icebreaker, the John G. Diefenbaker. Will you be able to table with the clerk of this committee, by the end of Wednesday, the date you expect to receive delivery of the Diefenbaker, and the full operational and financial impacts of this decision?

3:55 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Timothy Sargent

I'll once again turn to the commissioner.

3:55 p.m.

Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Jeffery Hutchinson

I think I can provide the same answer, that we'll work with the clerk to provide what information is available to you.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Thank you. Mr. Hutchinson, I'll direct these questions to you, since Mr. Sargent can't answer them. Will you table with the clerk, by the end of Wednesday, any and all briefings, notes or memos you reviewed, related to the refresh of the national shipbuilding strategy?

3:55 p.m.

Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Jeffery Hutchinson

We don't have an initiative that we refer to as a refresh of the national shipbuilding strategy. If there were an initiative of that nature, I think much of what you're looking for would be subject to confidence—primarily, cabinet confidence.

We would like to provide what we're able to, with respect to your question, sir. Perhaps this is another piece that we could discuss with the clerk, in terms of the appropriate scope.

3:55 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Thank you.

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald

That's your time. Thank you, Mr. Doherty.

Before I move on to Mr. Johns, I would ask that you be aware that interpreters are having some trouble keeping up when people are speaking really fast. Please co-operate with the interpreters so they can keep up with the conversation.

Mr. Johns, the floor is yours, for seven minutes or less, please.

3:55 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I want to thank the minister for being here today and all of his staff and team for the hard work that you do. I really appreciate all of you being here today.

I'm going to start with the oceans protection plan. In 2017-18, the shortfall was $63 million, in terms of money allocated and unspent. We don't have the numbers from 2018-19 yet, but were you able to meet the targets scheduled in the allotment for the oceans protection plan in 2018-19? Where are you sitting right now, in terms of the first month of the 2019-20 schedule?