Evidence of meeting #49 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 million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
So you're telling me we have to wait another four years to find out where that money went?
3:45 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
No. The way it works, though, is that the money is collected by the government, goes into the consolidated revenue fund, and then CATSA has to follow normal process, as every other crown corporation, submit a corporate plan and provide its budget estimates, and it's on that basis that the government will allocate the funding. It's not that there is a pot of money and you can just help yourself out of that pot of money.
But we're very much aware that there's an issue with CATSA that we're trying to deal with the best we can.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Thank you, Mr. Ranger.
Mr. Minister, about a week ago, during Rail Safety Week, you made an announcement of some $10.4 million for railway crossing safety. That wasn't the issue that was underlying all the derailments we've highlighted for you and that others have highlighted for you. In fact, there's a derailment, especially with CN, once every three and a half days. None of that $10.4 million went to address those issues. Moreover, there are about 103 different expenditures for that $10.4 million.
You will appreciate this question, I'm sure, that all of them except two went to Conservative ridings outside Quebec, and the ones in Quebec were all those that the newspapers and pundits and political analysts say are the target of the Government of Canada.
When did we start making an association between safety on railways and the political ambition of a government?
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Lawrence Cannon Conservative Pontiac, QC
I completely disregard your premise, Mr. Volpe, and the insinuation that it only goes to Conservative-held ridings. That's completely false.
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Conservative
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Liberal
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Conservative
Lawrence Cannon Conservative Pontiac, QC
Mr. Chair, if I'm here to respond to the questions, I'm here to respond to the questions.
The position I held last year is still the same position, in terms of rail safety. I'm looking you straight in the eye and I'm telling you that for 13 years you didn't do anything in railway safety. What I'm saying to you is that when I got into—
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
You said CN wouldn't publish your report because they forbade you to publish it.
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Conservative
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Liberal
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Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
How can you look at yourself in the mirror and say that's the truth?
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Lawrence Cannon Conservative Pontiac, QC
The problem, Mr. Volpe, is when you sat on this committee you didn't do anything either to talk about railway safety. You didn't. As a matter of fact, railway safety concerns went up; the number of derailments went up, Mr. Chairman.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Lawrence Cannon Conservative Pontiac, QC
Those went up over the course of the last 13 years. So when we got into power we decided to look at that, and we looked at it in a very serious way.
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Liberal
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Conservative
Lawrence Cannon Conservative Pontiac, QC
We turned around and asked what we should be doing. Let's ask OTC to look at that issue. Let's also put in place a panel that is going to review what we do in terms of railway safety. You understand that we don't have the same tools; we don't have the same tools, in terms of railway safety, as we have in the aviation sector. So what we want to be able to do is come forward with a series of recommendations, with the members of this committee, but also with the work that's being done by Mr. Lewis, and show that we will modernize our legislation and put in place rules and regulations that will be the standard by which we can function in terms of rail safety.
I appreciate—
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Mr. Minister, you already have that report. You had it before you and you decided not to do anything about it.
