Transport Committee on June 13th, 2006

[David Kinsman]

No, we're not. We fall completely under the public service provisions.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

The GICs then apply to the chair and the members of the board?

[Wendy A Tadros]

That's correct.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

And what are their terms?

[Wendy A Tadros]

The terms vary; it depends on—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Up to a maximum of say seven years, is that it?

[Wendy A Tadros]

I believe it is seven years; the last three have been five.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Is it a per diem based GIC appointment?

[Wendy A Tadros]

We have two types of members who sit on our board. The majority of the board members are full-time, so they are paid a salary just like any public servant. We have one part-time member.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Okay. And what is the source or the genesis of names for consideration by the GIC?

[Wendy A Tadros]

I believe the system is changing, but that's a matter for the government. What I understand is that more and more of these positions are going to be advertised. The issue of appointments is something for the government.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Do you have vacancies now on your board?

[Wendy A Tadros]

Yes, we do.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

How many vacancies do you have?

[Wendy A Tadros]

We have the chair's position, which has been advertised, and we have one other position.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I'm sorry, how many members are there in total?

[Wendy A Tadros]

A total of five.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Five on the board as a whole, including the chair?

[Wendy A Tadros]

Yes.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Thank you.

The second theme is harmonization. I think on your website you refer to working with other organizations, both nationally and internationally. To what extent are you seized with tracking what's happening in the United States, western Europe, and other countries, and to what extent now is there a move afoot to harmonize standards?

[Wendy A Tadros]

Well, we do track what happens internationally. I can't really speak to harmonizing standards because that's a regulatory matter, but we do work with a number of other investigative bodies around the world. Particularly in the air field, the issues we find are the issues that other investigative bodies find, whether it be the U.S., France, Australia. We work very closely with those other bodies.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

You must. I mean, the Air France crash would be a good example, of course.

Perhaps this is a question best put to your executive members here. Is there a move afoot in transportation safety worldwide now or is it a de facto happening that there is already now a move towards a standardization of regulatory standards? You would be looking, as a minimum threshold, for example, at a standard recommended by the Australian transportation safety board, the United States transportation safety board, etc. Is there an emerging, kind of international level or standard now across the system?

We're talking about fewer and fewer manufacturers of planes, trains, double-hulled ships, and so on. Isn't there an emerging international standard or set of standards?

[Nick Stoss]

Again, the issue dealing with international standards with regard to the regulatory aspects is handled by the regulatory agencies or the civil aviation administrations in the various countries.

With regard to the investigation practices, there are a number of international investigation organizations, and actually ICAO is one that provides the international civil aviation organizations.... Annex 13 provides all the standards for conducting investigations that we're concerned with.

There's also the IMO, which is on the marine side. They have a similar thing there.

Part and parcel of any investigation that we do is of course adherence to the standards, but we also share the information and actually use the expertise from those various foreign states we come into contact with. The only other international force that is driving us to work internationally is the dispersal of all the various products--Canadian products, Bombardier products--throughout the world, which causes us, again, to come in contact with, learn from, and use data from those other countries.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Very quickly, I have a last question.

Have you in the last five years received any whistle-blowing complaints in Canadian society that have been brought to the attention of the Transportation Safety Board?

[Wendy A Tadros]

No. Those whistle-blowing complaints and that issue goes to the Canadian Transportation Agency.