Transport Committee on May 2nd, 2007

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

The 13th is the one I was referring to, and you have the 22nd as well.

[Kirsten Brazier]

No, that's the one, the original letter. We spoke about the test case for SMS companies.

I might also point out that we were initially requested by our region to be one of those test cases. We agreed because we felt that if this new regulation was going to be put upon us, we wanted to be part of its implementation and creation.

In the end, upper management decided, for whatever reason, that other companies were more suitable. Yet when we look at the companies that were used as test cases, you will see from our statistics that they are not representative of our industry, which is so large.

We understood from various parties that a very large brief was given to each and every one of you. We have not been privy to that brief, but I'm sure you will have seen it because it seemed to be very big.

It stated that Transport Canada has done years and years of industry consultations through CARAC and these meetings, etc. Our contention is that CARAC is not available to small operators. The meetings are not held in small communities in the north. We are not privy to these kinds of meetings on a normal basis. We don't have budgets to travel at whim to get to these kinds of meetings. We are located from one end of Canada to the other. We're not located in major cities, such as Ottawa, Toronto, or Vancouver.

So when Transport Canada says they have consulted the two largest industries under the Canadian aviation regulations, we beg to differ, because we've shown that they are not consulting us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Listening to all the witnesses thus far, it seems to me there are a lot of different places where an error can happen. It can happen with the pilot, it can happen with maintenance crews, it can happen with the company itself and their philosophy, and it can even happen as a result of a particular type of aircraft. Would all of you agree with that? Generally, would you agree with that statement?

[Kirsten Brazier]

Lots of things can happen with anyone. I think we couldn't disagree.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

In this particular case, we're talking about planes in the air, and an error that happens in the air or on the ground with a plane is a significant error. Would you agree that it's usually one of those four causes, one of those four things?

Ms. Brazier.

[Kirsten Brazier]

I'm not quite following your question. There is usually more than one error that leads to an event, so I don't—

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Exactly. I think that's my point.

Indeed, there are many different things that could contribute to an error that would cause a crash or some harm to somebody in an aircraft. Would that be fair to say?

[Kirsten Brazier]

Yes, I think I could agree with that.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Okay.

I understand you had some particular issues with Transport Canada. In August 2006, you sent a letter to Transport Canada making allegations of industry nonconformance with the Canadian aviation regulations. Is that correct?

[Kirsten Brazier]

May I ask if you are referring to the letter from David Bayliss at Transport Canada?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I'm referring to a letter that you sent in a complaint—

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Julian, on a point of order.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Has Mr. Jean shared all contents of this correspondence with the committee?

[Kirsten Brazier]

And may we see a copy of this letter that we wrote to Transport Canada?

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Yes, that's highly inappropriate, unless you have distributed it to committee members.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

This is what you've tried before, Mr. Julian.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

And you said it was inappropriate, Mr. Fast.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Excuse me. The floor is mine, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

It is not a point of order.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Chair, you ruled in the past to the contrary. If Mr. Jean is quoting correspondence, he has to make it available to the committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I would like to solve this. First, I am accountable and transparent, and I'm not hiding anything from the committee. I do not have a letter. I have reference to a letter in a Transport Canada letter that I think was provided by Ms. Brazier.

[Kirsten Brazier]

[Inaudible--Editor]