Transport Committee on Dec. 7th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Order, please. Thank you, everyone.

Welcome to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, meeting number 41. On the orders of the day, pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, October 5, 2009, this is on Bill C-37, An Act to amend the National Capital Act and other Acts.

Before I introduce our guests today, there are two points of order. I have Mr. Watson and Monsieur Laframboise.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

When we had union panellists here recently for a hearing with respect to aviation safety, I made the comment that no union supports SMS. I want to be accurate in restoring the record. The UCTE did support the amended version of Bill C-6 with SMS and the appropriate changes we made. I want to be accurate. For the record and for posterity, they did in fact support the amended version of Bill C-6.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

Monsieur Laframboise.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Chairman, I understand a briefing session took place on Bill C-37 for which we are going to proceed to clause-by-clause consideration shortly. I asked our clerk about it, and she did not organize this session. Our party, the Bloc Québécois, was not invited. The briefing session was offered to Liberal and NDP Party members. I would like to ask the parliamentary secretary whether he has anything to say about this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, I want to apologize to the Bloc. I wasn't invited, and no Conservative member was invited. It was simply an oversight and a last minute thing that was done by the minister. It certainly wasn't intentional; otherwise I'm certain I would have been there. To make it clear, it was an incidental accident. I apologize.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Very well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Okay, thank you.

Joining us today as we review and do clause-by-clause on Bill C-37, from the Department of Transport, we have André Morency, Assistant Deputy Minister; Simon Dubé, Director; Kim Thalheimer, Legal Counsel; and Philippe de Grandpré.

Thank you for being here.

(On clause 2)

I have a government amendment, G-1.

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

This government amendment is in relation to ecological integrity. It's to add a definition by requiring that certain conditions fit with clause 2 in order for it to stand.

Do you want me to read it into the record, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

You don't have to.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Okay, I will not do so then.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Everyone has a copy of it.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

It's self-evident as far as what it does.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Okay.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, I would advise the committee that there have been considerable discussions among all members of all parties. Although some of the motions by the government may be ruled out of order as a result of the contextual nature of them or because they go beyond the purpose of the original bill, I think you will find unanimity among all parties and all members, if you seek it, in relation to particular areas that you may find to be out of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Actually, the amendment G-1 is in order.

Is there any debate?

Monsieur Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Chairman, in the French version we find the words "sera vraisemblablement". I do not understand why we are using the word "vraisemblablement". I would prefer it if we used "doit être maintenu", rather than "sera vraisemblablement maintenu". I would simply like to understand why we are using the words "sera vraisemblablement maintenu", rather than "doit être maintenu".

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

May I ask Monsieur Nadeau for more specifics?

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I am referring to the wording of the amendment itself. At first the amendment reads as follows "'intégrité écologique' L'état jugé caractéristique d'une région naturelle qui sera vraisemblablement maintenu...". I would move that we remove the expression "sera vraisemblablement maintenu" and replace it with the following "doit être maintenu".

[Simon Dubé, Director, Portfolio Management, Crown Corporation Governance, Department of Transport]

I'll just point out that the definition in French and English is the equivalent of the definition of “ecological integrity” in the Canada National Parks Act, so this is consistent with existing legislation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Is there any more debate?

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We have more amendments. We're going to G-2.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, we heard at our meetings, in regard to greenbelts, that many members, from the other parties especially, felt that “greenbelt” should be a definition and that the act itself should be expanded to include “greenbelt” so as to protect that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

It's here where I would have to notify you that the amendment introduces a new concept and is technically beyond the scope of the bill.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, on that note, I'm wondering if we can address it for the other parties, if indeed they want to protect that. Otherwise, I would challenge the chair in relation to that finding, which I don't want to do, because I don't think it's necessary. I think all parties feel the same way the government does on this. We just feel that the greenbelt is very important to the users of Gatineau Park, and it should be protected as a result.