Evidence of meeting #34 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 investigation.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director, Regulatory Services, Civil Aviation, Department of Transport
Exactly.
Director, Regulatory Services, Civil Aviation, Department of Transport
There currently are standards of certification, but of course we want to make sure there's a full enabling authority for the minister to have his say, in terms of clean air and emission standards.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Okay.
Finally, the bill certainly does provide for a degree of self-regulation within the industry. Is that correct?
Director, Regulatory Services, Civil Aviation, Department of Transport
I would not use “self-regulation”. We believe it is an additional requirement, where we ask the industry to do additional work with us. But it's not delegation, and it's not self-regulation--definitely not--because they currently have to abide by a series of requirements, and we're adding an additional requirement.
In the past, they used to be reactive. They had to comply with regulations. If they did not, we would take enforcement. Now we ask them to do more than comply with regulations; we ask them to become proactive. We ask them to take safety data, analyze them, and come up with trend analyses to determine that if I don't fix this little problem here, it will grow and evolve from a small incident into a bigger incident or accident.
So we ask them to be proactive. We ask them to audit. Even before we go and do our own assessment and audits, we ask them to do an internal one, take the data, and prove to us that they've used that data in a proactive way to advance safety. That's why I'm saying it's much more than it was before. Before it was a set of regulations. Now it's a set of regulations, plus another one asking them to become proactive. So that's why I would not use “self-regulation”.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It seems like you have been working at this for nine years, and we've reached a point now where it's before the House and sent to the committee.
In terms of the drafting, and we have two legal people at the table, are both of you satisfied with the bill as it went to the House and was referred to committee? Is there any advice you can give us that you are concerned about in terms of the legislation?
Alex Weatherston Counsel, Legal Services, Department of National Defence
We certainly have no government motions to bring to amend any portion of it, no.
Counsel, Legal Services, Department of National Defence
No, not at this point.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Some bills are drafted by yourselves, some by the justice department, which come to you, but you are satisfied with what you have.
Secondly, in terms of the costs that might be involved with the new legislation, has anyone done a budget analysis of how much extra money it will cost the government to bring this legislation into effect?
Director, Flight Safety, Department of National Defence
On our side, sir, we're going to be doing the same business, but we're now going to have better legislation to help us get the support of civilian personnel, so no increase on our side.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Okay. At present there will be no demands for additional money to the treasury.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
With the concept of penalties--one of you made the statement, and I'm not sure which one--there are multiple deficiencies in the present system, and this new legislation will overcome those deficiencies.
Could you give me two major examples of those deficiencies that are being corrected by this legislation?
Director, Regulatory Services, Civil Aviation, Department of Transport
We're not talking specifically about deficiencies; we're talking about going the extra mile to improve safety. We're saying that academics of the world have told us, and many organizations, companies in the petrochemical industry and all that, that in order to go the extra mile to improve safety when you're already doing all you can do, you have to think outside of the box.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
I'm sorry. I did pick up on the words. One of you used the expression “there are multiple deficiencies in the present system”.
Within the present system, in terms of those who are assessed penalties or given warnings, is it available on the website in terms of individuals or corporations? How does the public know that a certain company is not meeting all the requirements of the industry or the regulators?
Director, Regulatory Services, Civil Aviation, Department of Transport
With respect to “multiple deficiencies”, I think it was raised by DND, with respect to their portion. I think I'd like to defer to them to answer this.
With respect to us, is there a means of knowing how a corporate citizen is behaving? Yes, we have our website, and you can see it there. All the corporate offences are listed on the website.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
If an individual goes to hire a taxi, is he or she able to go to the website to see the record that the taxi company has in terms of working with the general public?
Director, Regulatory Services, Civil Aviation, Department of Transport
Yes.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
I'm going to ask two more quick questions, if I have time.
One deals with the green movement. They claim that aircraft are one of the major polluters in terms of the upper atmosphere. We're in fact purchasing new C-17s.
For the new aircraft that are being developed, is there any assessment on the emissions that would be involved in the decision on which aircraft would be better, one from another, in terms of the companies and the engines they're using or in terms of the fuel they're using to generate lift and to provide flight?
Director, Flight Safety, Department of National Defence
Well, sir, you're talking about C-17s, and I'm not sure that I would be able to answer that question. We could definitely ask our technical authority.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
But, gentlemen, I'm asking this. Is there an assessment of emissions in terms of different aircraft? Is there any assessment available on what they're doing to the environment?
