Transport Committee on March 8th, 2011

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

First of all, in terms of non-punitive reporting, this is a major building block or a major foundational element of safety management systems. A company needs to have the right culture so that people can say there is a problem and that it needs to be fixed, rather than hiding safety issues so that it's not an issue.

We're looking into this direct line to Transport Canada and Securitas and the Transportation Safety Board relationship. I can't really tell you if Securitas is adaptable because we have to look into that, but my information says that the line to Transport Canada already exists. We have been reading the testimony the committee has been getting, and part of the list of things we're looking at is to answer exactly that question.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

For the record, what purposes or uses is Securitas for? For somebody who's calling in, for what purposes would those calls be fielded? Would it include issues of safety with respect to workplace?

[Laureen Kinney]

We'd have to get more details for you.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Okay, that's fine.

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

I'm not sure.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

If we could have an answer at some point....

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

I actually haven't been on that particular--

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Okay. I'd appreciate, Mr. Chair, if there could be a response on that issue. Obviously, the committee is seized with that issue, and any information we could have would help us deliberate on how to handle that particular recommendation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I have to stop you there. Your time is up.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Oh, I'm having fun, Mr. Chair.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. McCallum.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I know this is a little bit unusual, but I'd like—now that I have the floor—to take this opportunity to present my motion. The reason why I'm saying that is we only have a few minutes before the 30-minute bell starts, and if we get unanimous consent we can go on until 5:30. I think we'd more likely get unanimous consent to hear the witnesses than to hear my motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

If we are going to discuss your motion, I'll thank our witnesses for being here.

Mr. Jean, on a point of order.

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

I have more questions for this witness. This is not part of the orders of the day. The normal process is to listen to the witnesses, ask questions, and have different rounds. He's now interjecting, and if he wants to put these motions on the floor at a different time.... We've had lots of meetings and he has lots of time to do so, and he can put it on the floor for any particular meeting he wants to. Now he's interrupting our ability to ask questions to witnesses. Mr. Chair, I don't think if it were reciprocated he would appreciate it very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

When a person has the floor, he does have the right to present his motion. It's within the 48-hour rule. It's up to the committee to determine if they want to debate it, but he does have that right.

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

I understand that, but you know, Mr. Chair, reciprocation is a wonderful thing in Parliament, and it doesn't work very well when people start doing things like that. I don't appreciate it at all.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I'll thank our guests. We appreciate your time.

Mr. Jean.

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

I'd like to point out for the record as a point of order that both motions I have in front of me are in relation to partisan requests. He's asking for the department to finalize and get information in relation to partisan issues and to spend taxpayers' money on partisan issues, rather than dealing with what we have today, which is to ask questions of the department.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Let him present the motion first.

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

They've come all this way; the deputy minister has come all this way to have us ask questions, and I don't think it's in order at all.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Chair, may I say one little thing?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

On the same point of order?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Yes. I thought—and maybe this part is not in order—that the motion, which is a simple request for information, could be dealt with very quickly, and then if people wanted to hear the witnesses further, we could agree to extend the sitting until 5:30 or something of that nature. Is that not reasonable?

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Sure.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I'm prepared to thank our guests and ask them to be excused, and we'll continue on with Mr. McCallum's motion.