Transport Committee on May 27th, 2010

[John Forster, Associate Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Canada]

I can answer that. Under the project, $46 million has been approved, and approximately $30 million has been spent. The project has to be completed by late June, before the summit. A few months later, we will receive all the bills.

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

It should not exceed $50 million, right?

[John Forster]

It should not be more than $50 million; it will probably be a bit less than that.

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

Obviously, in your estimates, amounts have been allocated for gateways and corridors. There is the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and funds were allocated for that, but there is still the Ontario-Quebec Trade Corridor. I know that you allocated money for 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, but is there a plan? Who is working on that? What efforts are being made to support the Ontario-Quebec Trade Corridor?

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

There is work going on between Ontario, Quebec, and the federal government concerning the corridor. We're in the process of getting our approvals. However, the critical component of that gateway is the actual Windsor-Detroit crossing, be it the bridge or be it the rail tunnel that proponents are working on. We're working on all of the pieces, and there has been good cooperation.

Because of the infrastructure stimulus fund and the economic action plan, we have taken many steps in terms of putting in projects on the ground, such as the investment in the port, which has been part of the gateway discussions. But they were already funded under the stimulus funding.

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

Have funds already been committed in Quebec? Will more money be committed?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

We have not spent all the money; there is still some left. There are also funds for projects that have not been announced, such as the highway connector between the Canadian bridge/plaza in Windsor and Highway 401. Partnerships between Michigan and the United States are pending. We have already announced some funding for the project, but it is not enough. More money is needed. It is very clear to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation that the $400 million announced will not be enough. It is really not enough. We will continue to work with ministry officials. I believe 20% of the products transported by truck across that bridge are the result of trade between Quebec and the U.S. This project will affect Quebec's manufacturing sector.

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

Will you sign an agreement specifically with the government of Quebec? Do you anticipate something like that?

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

This is not an agreement per se. It's a strategy that goes beyond money. It is important to look at regulations of the two levels of governments, important for industry to participate. There are actions industry could take. This is more of a getting together and working on a strategy so that we can have trade moving north-south, from the Quebec-Ontario corridor to the United States.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

We are prepared to provide information on Quebec's participation. We have done a lot of work on a policy called the Ontario-Quebec Continental Gateway and Trade Corridor. The Building Canada Fund is ready to support the projects, further to our agreement with Quebec or Ontario.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Ms. Chow.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

It is more than what Quebec receives under the Building Canada Fund.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Last year, your government eliminated the money for police patrol at the airport and at the same time aviation security had a cut of a total of $50 million. We notice that the airport security charge has gone up anywhere from, on domestic flights, $14.96 to $25.91, or close to $26 for international flights.

Is that money going directly to security or is it going into general revenue? Is it used for buying those big naked scanners at the airport? Is it being used to hire more inspectors? Since self-regulation was put in, in 2003, by the former Liberal government, there has been quite a lot of concern about safety. So how is this money used? Is it specifically for security or is it general revenue?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

The $1.5 billion charge over five years will all go towards that.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

It will go towards security?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

It will go for security under CATSA and others.

We have committed to give this committee—a proper oversight committee—a complete accounting for how the money will be spent, so that taxpayers can have confidence that the increase in the charge is actually going towards security.

The $10 million reduction for the airport policing program, which is a granting program, represented less than 1% of the projects at airports. The policy brought forward by the previous government with respect to airports was by and large a good one in terms of its operations. I might have some issues about the governance, but it was by and large a good one, because it said basically that the travelling public should be paying the freight. I have a lot of constituents in my riding, as I'm sure you have in yours, who don't have the funds or the luxury to take air travel, and why should their tax dollars be supporting others who do?

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Some of those constituents take public transit, and they have been asking when they can see permanent gas tax funding, not the existing ten cents, of which five cents goes to the municipality. We've always been asking for an extra cent, but it used to be that one or two cents was designated, not per capita but by transit ridership. That actually generates far more stable funding for public transit, and it is now gone, which is unfortunate.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Now gone?

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Well, the distribution of the funding is now per capita rather than by transit ridership. Many municipalities, especially urban centres, are asking that we take at least one or two of those cents, or an extra cent, from the existing gas tax and make sure it is transferred to the municipalities through ridership. That's one of the things they have been asking for, so that they get permanent funding.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I think to say that there's no permanent funding just is not accurate. We not only made the gas tax transfer to municipalities permanent in the 2008 budget, but last year, in a difficult financial year, we doubled it.

We have a lot of confidence that the municipalities can make the choices that are good for them. In the case of Toronto and the GTA, public transit is a big issue. In the case of Hamilton, clean water was a big priority. I'll let the local councillors make that determination.

Insofar as we allocate money, obviously your area has a high degree of public transit ridership; you'd like it allocated that way. I suspect Mrs. Aglukkaq would think we should allocate it based on land mass, because they don't have a lot of transportation. My riding has only 88 square kilometres; public ridership might be good for me. I suggest the member for Wild Rose or the member for Athabasca thinks it should be by square kilometre. I suspect all of us will advocate for what is best for our own ridings. That's why the per capita allocation I think is a pretty fair one.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

What percentage of your green infrastructure funds and the Building Canada fund actually went to public transit, in terms of the dollars? Do you have a rough percentage?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I think we said it was about $400 million.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

That's why you have her beside you. She gives you the numbers.

In terms of percentage of these green funds...?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'll give you the numbers here.

Of the $4 billion stimulus fund, across Canada about....