Transport Committee on Dec. 7th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Monsieur Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I have the letter, but only in French.

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

That's all right.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

It would have to be in both languages, and unfortunately that is not the case. I could have it circulated in both languages by the next meeting.

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

Can I just have a copy? Would you mind? I'm not asking for it to go to the committee, but I just haven't seen it.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I'm not sure whether you have been in the House recently, Mr. Jean, but we will not be making the same blunder twice. I'm sorry.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Okay.

Mr. Bevington, do you still want me to read this to you?

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

No, that's fine, thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

That's okay? I apologize that you didn't have the amendments in front of you. Does everyone else have them, just to be certain?

Okay.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

I'm calling for a recorded division.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

A recorded vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

(Clause 3 as amended agreed to)

(Clauses 4 to 7 inclusive agreed to)

(On clause 8)

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

We are going to the Liberals' second amendment.

Monsieur Proulx.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Yes, Mr. Chair. Subclause 3(1) and clause 8 confirm the abolition of the executive committee. For the best governance, we suggest the executive committee be maintained—that is more effective than the entire commission. Moreover, the Federal Accountability Act of this Conservative government, at section 288, had planned the creation of this executive committee. Therefore, we feel this committee should be recreated.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean.

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

My understanding is that that executive committee has not been utilized for many years, if ever, and I'm wondering... My understanding was that originally when this executive committee was designated, it was designated as a result of the board at large not being able to meet, which has obviously not happened, as a result of technology—telecommunications in particular. Is that indeed the case, and can you expand on that?

[Simon Dubé]

Yes, that is the case, and it's worth noting that the act will provide the possibility for the NCC to create any committee it deems necessary, so if they felt it was necessary to have an executive committee currently, with Bill C-37 they could do that without specifically having reference to an executive committee.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Are there other comments?

(Amendment negatived)

The amendment is defeated.

We are moving to amendment G-4, Mr. Jean.

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

Mr. Chair, this motion corrects a minor grammatical error by changing the “lui” to “leurs” in the French version of proposed subsection 9(2). It changes it from “lui” to “leurs”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Are there any comments?

(Amendment agreed to)

(Clause 8 as amended agreed to)

(On clause 9)

We have amendment BQ-2.

Monsieur Nadeau.

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Transportation is a provincial area of jurisdiction. The Constitution defines the roles of each order of government. Under the division of legislative powers, road development and maintenance, as well as public transit, are provincial areas of jurisdiction.

The Bloc Québécois therefore believes that it is absolutely unacceptable that representatives from the political parties seated around this table, who all voted in favour of recognizing the Quebec nation, would seek to grant powers which are rightfully those of Quebec to a federal agency like the NCC. Land use planning is a Quebec government area of jurisdiction and should remain so, even in border regions like the Outaouais.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I will just advise the committee that if this amendment is adopted, then amendment L-3 will not be able to move forward. That is just for the information of the committee.

Mr. Jean.

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

Mr. Chair, my understanding, in relation to this particular section of the proposed act, is that it is so the NCC can actually utilize the thought process of the flow of traffic and indeed make planning in relation to transportation, so that there is uniformity and they can make planning initiatives in relation to what happens in the park to reflect what's going on in the rest of Quebec, obviously, and the adjoining area. There is no intention at all to take any jurisdiction from the province.

If you look at the particular wording, it is talking about transportation planning. It is not talking about transportation initiatives.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Monsieur Laframboise.

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

You are adding "notamment en ce qui concerne les transports dans cette région". I am curious to hear what your constitutional lawyer has to say on this point. He referred to the Constitution, but it would seem to me that transportation, at least over Quebec lands, should fall under Quebec's jurisdiction.

[Philippe de Grandpré]

There is no constitutional problem from a legal standpoint. Politically speaking it may be another matter, but legally speaking there is no problem. The federal government can always spend on planning, in any area.