Evidence of meeting #20 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was railway.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Director, GO Transit
It's been signed. It's been active for about three years now.
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Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
So the contracts with your suppliers and consortium, and so on, are they actually in place?
3:45 p.m.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Director, GO Transit
Yes. We're probably about 50% through the overall program.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Okay. So when you heard about the involvement of the President of the Treasury Board in a particular infrastructure agreement here in this city, did it surprise you?
3:45 p.m.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Director, GO Transit
It doesn't affect us, really, no.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
I don't think that's a relevant question. I hate to restrict questions of witnesses, but I think that is a different issue.
October 24th, 2006 / 3:45 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Well, it is, Mr. Chairman, but I think it speaks to whether or not this bill ought to be amended in one way or another to look at this whole question of...because what's gone on here is that there's been a degree of involvement by the federal government in municipal decision-making, which may have to be protected against in Bill C-11. That's why I'm raising the question.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
I think, though, that you're asking Mr. McNeil to speculate, and I don't think that's necessarily what he's here for. He's here to answer questions currently—
3:45 p.m.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Director, GO Transit
I can honestly say that in the case of our infrastructure program, we've had 100% support from the federal government and the provincial government and the municipal governments, really, in moving this forward. It's much-needed infrastructure that's being strongly supported by all agencies.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Absolutely. So in this case there was no value-for-money audit being imposed upon you, nor were you told something along the lines that you'd have to revisit your contract pending the outcome of a municipal election campaign, for example?
3:45 p.m.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Director, GO Transit
No, as part of our request for the funding, we put in a fairly strong business case for the program through Transport Canada, which was endorsed by Transport Canada and the federal government.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
3:45 p.m.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Director, GO Transit
It's managed by our internal organization, but we go out for competitive prices on all of our contracts.
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Liberal
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
3:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Director, West Coast Express
The only thing I might add with respect to Bill C-11, is that if you're talking about federal funding, currently in Vancouver most of the funding—and the relationship would come, of course, from senior levels of government—does or does not get allocated depending on the viability, in this case, of a commuter rail project. So if this were to be enacted in legislation, any contribution by the federal government would benefit, so it's not going to railway margins; it's going to minimize the capital needed and maximize the service output. That's the intent of the framework here, regardless of which level of government—provincial, municipal, federal—would benefit from a better value relationship.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Let me clarify, Mr. Chairman.
So the contribution going into Vancouver, then, has not been subject to the outcome of a municipal election campaign. Is that right?
3:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Director, West Coast Express
It's not related in any way.