Transport Committee on June 15th, 2010

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Ms. Steele, the other question I wanted to—

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Can I just ask for clarification? Is it 50% that you're—?

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

This is the number that we have heard—

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Okay. I just wanted to make sure. They both shook their heads.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

—that 50% of projects will be over time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Are you in agreement with that?

[Barbara Steele]

What?

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

That 50% of your projects will be past the deadline.

[Barbara Steele]

That's a national question again.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

So the national number.

[Brock Carlton]

We don't have that figure. I don't know where that figure comes from.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

It's a national number that we have heard in our canvass of different municipalities across the country.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

If that's your position, then that's fine. If not, I just wanted to clarify that.

[Brock Carlton]

It's not our position. If 50% was the number, we would have heard about it during our annual meeting in Toronto. But we don't have a percentage. We know it's not 50%.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

A point of clarification, Mr. Chairman.

The survey information we have in front of us indicates that 54%, 20 of 37 municipalities, would benefit from an extension—

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

Mr. Chair, a point of order.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

We're on a point of order.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Excuse me, Mr. Chair.

Further, the same number had an impact from the extension, increased costs for sure for about 22%. So on a majority it would have an impact. This is the B.C. data that was collected by the B.C. association. Those are metrics that are from there. That's what we're saying there.

We will be releasing a study that we've done across the country, but the 50% is not the number there. It's lower than that, but it is still very significant.

So just because it's coming from this side, Mr. Chair... We will be releasing a study that we've conducted, and I'm just putting forward that what Ms. Crombie is referring to is that around half of the people contacted in the UBCM had a negative impact from the deadline.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean, on the same point.

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

I did have a point of order, Mr. Chair, but then I found out it was evidence that was garnered by Mr. Kennedy, so there's no interest in that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

Ms. Crombie.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

I'd just like to continue, if I could, Ms. Steele, with you.

You had mentioned that the—

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Watson, on a point of order.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

I was hoping to respond to the point of order.

Is that the same survey that was at the heart of a report this committee sent to the Speaker about a potential breach of privilege? Is that the same survey, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

That's not a point of order.

Ms. Crombie.