Transport Committee on Feb. 5th, 2008

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Freeman, we're dealing with ports and not the island airport. We're talking about port authorities. So let me ask this of Mr. Adam Vaughan.

Mr. Adam Vaughan, you and I have known each other in the past. I want to deal with you with all the deference that should accrue to an elected individual. But you have also chosen to come here as an individual. I've read your submission, and I'm in a little bit of a quandary about whether to deal with you as an individual or an elected member.

Did you clear your presentation with city council, and does your presentation represent the position of the council of the city of Toronto?

[Adam Vaughan]

Insofar as the city council has taken the position not to appoint or recognize the legitimacy of the Toronto Port Authority, for many of the reasons I've stated, my position is consistent with the position that was voted on and adopted. It has been the prevailing position of city council since the port authority was put in place ten years ago.

This is completely consistent, then, with both the mandate I sought and received from my electorate and with the position of city council.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Well, Mr. Vaughan, with all due respect—

[Adam Vaughan]

If you take....

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

—that's interpretive. There is not a resolution.

[Adam Vaughan]

I can add that this summer, when the issue of constructing a sidewalk next to a public school near one of the port authority operations was in front of council, the position that I advocated on behalf of my community was unanimously adopted by city council and by the local community council, which had carriage of the issue. This is the position in which I now find myself in court defending. The port authority says that it has planning authority over this stretch of lower Bathurst Street, and that it requires access to its facility from this part of the street.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

What does that have to do with Bill C-23?

[Adam Vaughan]

We're proposing....

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Vaughan, one moment, please. We're trying to consider what the government's proposals would be to make port authorities viable commercial entities. We want to be sensitive to everything that takes place at the local level, and we want to consider the larger issues. That's what we're obliged to do as members of Parliament.

If you want to talk to us about the difficulties that you have in the planning process in your council and how your council relates to one of our port authorities, I think that we need to be equipped with resolutions of council. There should be a council position with respect to the port authority.

Mr. Vaughan, with all due respect to the kinds of issues that any local councillor might or might not engage in, we are dealing with a larger issue. That's why I ask whether we should be considering you as an individual, in which case we would address every individual citizen's submission on its personal merit, or if you're presenting something from council officially, in which case I'd like to see a mandate from your council setting forth the position this committee ought to consider. I don't think you should put us at a disadvantage.

[Adam Vaughan]

Let me address that, then. The notification for this meeting arrived at my office short of a council meeting, which means we'd have had to call an emergency council meeting to take a position on the specifics of this bill.

Your decision not to hold hearings across the country in ports where there is friction between the local authority and ports is a decision that you took on your own. So we arrive here on short notice and we seek to address some of the positions being put forth in this proposed legislation.

So I speak, yes, as a member of city council, in consistency with the positions my council has taken, but also as a local representative representing a waterfront community. You raised four issues that I'd like to address.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Volpe.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Vaughan, this committee still has to address a series of issues. You again represent something that is not typical of witnesses to not just this committee but any committee of Parliament. I've been here a little while. We try to make all issues either jurisdictional and therefore non-partisan, or individual, or stakeholders.

You are, as I understand it, a member of a partisan political organization.

[Adam Vaughan]

Excuse me--

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Just a moment, Mr. Vaughan. You ran under a particular party label.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

We need to know whether a witness who comes before this committee is representing a partisan position or whether it is a personal position.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please.

[Adam Vaughan]

Excuse me, but that's a lie. That is a deliberate lie.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please.

[Adam Vaughan]

Mr. Volpe, I expect you to conduct your business with the honour of your office. That is a lie.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please, Mr. Vaughan.

Mr. Vaughan, please.

Thank you.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Vaughan, you ran as an NDP councillor.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please.

Can we have the mikes shut off, please?

Mr. Vaughan, I do want to just remind you that this committee started reviewing Bill C-23 in December. Regrettably, whether you were or weren't informed in a timely fashion is a point of debate. But the time has expired, and I'll go to Monsieur Laframboise.

[Adam Vaughan]

Excuse me, but my reputation has just been deliberately misrepresented by a member of this committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Monsieur Laframboise.