Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for coming again.
In response to Mr. Fast's question, in the 2002-03 period, I know that a number of municipalities in greater Vancouver made presentations, and in my former role as mayor of the district of North Vancouver, I made a presentation to the panel, supporting changes and basically supporting the need for improvements to the port regulations. Therefore, as you've mentioned, Minister, this bill builds largely on Bill C-61, which was begun by Minister Lapierre under the previous Liberal government. Generally speaking, I support it and our party supports it.
One of the issues you made reference to is the relationship with municipalities. Again, the port of Vancouver, where I have the greatest knowledge, has done a pretty good job on that. North Vancouver, for example, was the second municipality, again during my term as mayor, to sign an official protocol and accord with the port of Vancouver, a municipal protocol to exchange information about planning so that there was less chance of breakdown. So it's important that this kind of philosophy flows through the act and flows out of this act.
Particularly with respect to the Pacific gateway, for which I'm the Liberal Party critic, the importance of China can't be underestimated. We know the estimates are that by 2015, certainly by 2020, China will be either the number one economy or tied for number one economy in the world. The gateway is poised to try to take advantage of that for all of Canada and the opportunities that present through both Prince Rupert and the Vancouver ports and the amalgamated ports. Sixty percent of the containers coming into the port of Vancouver come from China, and 40% of the containers leaving presently go to China, so it's a huge player, as far as we're concerned.
Port growth and modernization in China is going on at a phenomenal rate. That's why it's important that we do our best to catch up. We know that in the United States and in fact countries down to Central and South America, they're improving their port facilities in anticipation of this growth out of China.
One of the concerns I have in talking to stakeholders and port authority people in Vancouver is they feel that we're not moving fast enough. I know this bill will help, but part of the concern was that back in December of 2005, Mr. Harper indicated during that election time that a Conservative government would equal the commitment of the Liberal government in terms of the gateway, which at that time was $591 million over five years under Minister Emerson when he was a Liberal minister. The concern I have is that what we've actually seen—and I did this through a parliamentary question to get the answers as to what the actual spending was in terms of gateway funding—is that in the five-year total, the comparable five-year period, we're some $39 million shy with your government's commitment; and in the first two years, the 2006-07 and the 2007-08 period, we're something like $79 million shy. So the money has been rear-ended.
I know your government has extended it to $1 billion, which is another $450 million, in the years 2011 to 2014. But I guess the concern I've heard relates to maybe some of the things in this act but also in terms of the flow of money actually happening and front-ending it rather than pushing it back; and by the deficiencies I've mentioned there, it's putting the Pacific gateway at a technical disadvantage where we see the U.S. ports pouring money into their facilities and we see what's happening in China, and we don't want to lose out on those opportunities.
I'm just curious. The Province of B.C. has made China a priority. They're doing it in a whole variety of ways. We've recently seen the United States move ahead of us on approved destination status for tourists, which affects the ports by virtue of the cruise ship industry, which is big out of Vancouver, because a lot of those tourists in fact cruise Alaska, cruise the Pacific coast. We have the potential for three to four times the current rate of tourism out of China, which is big money for all of Canada.
Can you comment on how we can get this money for the gateway—the Pacific gateway in particular is my interest now—flowing more quickly than in the current plan?