Transport Committee on June 4th, 2007

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

If an employee reports something through SMS and feels—I'm going to raise this as hypothetical—that no action is being taken by the company, so they then leak that information or make that information available, and then an audit is ordered as a result of that information coming in a different way, does the fact that it was originally reported under an SMS protect that—

[Merlin Preuss]

It doesn't matter. No.

[Franz Reinhardt]

No. If we conduct an audit and we conduct interviews of witnesses during our audit, outside of that process the information is part of government information. The audit, it's available.

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Okay.

On page 15, line 11, I notice that between paragraphs (a) and (b) there is no “or”, but between paragraphs (b) and (c) there is an “or” at the end. So do I understand that paragraphs (a) and (b) must both occur, but paragraph (c) is an alternative to paragraphs (a) and (b) together?

[Franz Reinhardt]

Either. It's either/or. It's one or the other.

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Okay, but it says “disclose it except in the following circumstances”, (a), (b) or (c). Should it be (a) or (b) or (c)?

[Franz Reinhardt]

Yes.

[Susan Stanfield]

That's the meaning. But the drafting convention is that you put the “or” at the end of the second last item.

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

So the absence of “or” after paragraph (a) doesn't mean that you have to have (a) and (b) or (c).

[Franz Reinhardt]

No.

[Susan Stanfield]

No.

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Okay, I guess that answers my questions. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Julian.

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

Only a question. Is the Air Transat audit available, or is it protected?

[Merlin Preuss]

Air Transat audit? We don't publish them, but they're available through ATI.

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

So if an organization made a request through ATI, they would get a copy of it. Is that right?

[Merlin Preuss]

Yes, that's standard practice.

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

My understanding is that requests were made to ATI and they've been denied.

[Merlin Preuss]

For which--

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

For Air Transat.

[Merlin Preuss]

For which audit, sir?

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

The safety audit.

[Merlin Preuss]

The safety audit on their audit manual?

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

Yes.

[Merlin Preuss]

It will be provided; it has to.