I would like to start with a personal anecdote, Mr. Chairman. Since the House is adjourning soon, we can take some liberties.
In the winter of 1987, I was an engineering trainee at the Dorval airport. I was part of the marine navigation group, and I conducted a study on the acoustic environment. I can tell you that the commitment of the people there towards transportation safety is not new, since Mr. Grégoire was my supervisor at the time. He took me to Sept-Îles twice by plane. Our assistant deputy minister is also a pilot. So he must know what he is talking about when he talks about aviation safety.
I am pleased to be here with you today, Mr. Grégoire. I became a politician, but I am still interested in transportation and infrastructure.
My riding has the largest Canadian shipyard, the Lévis shipyard. On page 4 of your presentation, you say:
Canada has on average 60 ships and more than 20 companies engaged in international shipping that have obtained full statutory certification for their safety management systems. While we do not have mandatory application of these SMS regulations for Canadian domestic shipping, Transport Canada Marine Safety has successfully promoted voluntary adoption.
Are there any operators who have not yet signed on to the system? Would it be desirable to go from a voluntary approach to a mandatory one by way of legislation?