Transport Committee on Dec. 7th, 2011

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate the fact that our time is limited today, so I'm going to get right to it.

What is specifically included in these estimates for Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated?

[Anita Biguzs]

Three items are included in these estimates, for a total of about $23 million.

The first component, as I mentioned earlier, is for the Champlain Bridge in the amount of $4.6 million. These funds have been re-profiled from the previous years to complete. There were revisions to the work plan as a result of some delays. The contractor needed more time to complete some of the pier rehabilitation work, so that was part of the government's $212 million plan to ensure the safety and structural integrity of the bridge.

The second component is for the Honoré Mercier Bridge in the amount of $17.6 million. These were funds re-profiled from 2010-11 to the current year to complete the work. As I mentioned, this is for the replacement of the federal portion of the access ramps, the redecking, and some steel repairs. There were some delays due to labour negotiations, in particular between the provincial government and the first nations. As I mentioned, I think the first phase of that work has been completed, and the redecking work will proceed and is expected to be completed next spring.

The third component of this is for contaminated-sites funding in the amount of about $205,000, and that's funding for a joint project with Quebec to clean up contaminated soil along the Bonaventure Expressway. There were some delays in the tendering process in terms of being able to complete that, so this will finish that work.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Thank you.

Moving along, I attended one of the receptions at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and even though in my local area there is a lot more interest in the gas tax being made permanent and seeing that there be more flexibility within that for light standards and what not, what I heard from a number of municipal representatives is that they wanted to talk about a new infrastructure plan.

I do know that last week Mr. Lebel made an important announcement about a new infrastructure plan for post-2014, when the Building Canada plan expires. Can you give us some more details in regard to what will lie ahead regarding that new plan?

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

Sure. Mr. Forster was with the minister at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

This is an important step, because the intent to discuss with all the players what the country needs was made public before the program comes to an end. Actually, in some ways that is very novel, because we have a lot of time to work with the partners to determine what the next program will look like and what it will focus on. That is a very big deal in infrastructure.

John, do you want to elaborate on the steps?

[John Forster]

Sure, very quickly. The consultations will go in three phases. In the first phase we'll be looking at what the accomplishments have been and the results of the billions of dollars invested since Building Canada came out with stimulus and so on.

The second phase, next year, will be looking at where the gaps are and the priorities and where, as a country, we should be investing in the future.

A third phase, later next year, will be discussions with provinces, territories, and municipalities around principles, directions, for any kind of new programming after Building Canada expires.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

You would say this is a very proactive way of addressing the infrastructure needs that are out there.

[John Forster]

Yes. As the deputy was saying, it's very beneficial that we have signalled ahead of time that we want to go out and spend some time now to think about what the long-term priorities are for Canada with regard to infrastructure investments. It's a great opportunity to work with our partners to do that.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

You mentioned that the provinces are going to be involved specifically, because oftentimes we work hand-in-glove with them.

[John Forster]

Yes, the provincial and territorial governments.The minister has been in touch with all his colleagues in that regard concerning the roll-out as well as working very closely with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and other stakeholders, such as the Canadian Construction Association and Engineers Canada.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Were the consultations well received as being crucial for the next step?

[John Forster]

I can say yes, unanimously. All of the provincial and territorial governments are very enthusiastic about the process, as were the stakeholders, and in particular the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. They're sort of organizing themselves to have a lot of input into the process.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Great, thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

Mr. Sullivan.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

The department recently went through an exercise to find savings by selling off assets, including small airports. Can you tell us what buildings and small airports you have identified to be sold to make money, and how this will affect rural transportation?

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

First of all, we sold airplanes.

We have a port divestiture fund, and this is the one where we work with interested parties so they can take over certain ports, but that has been an ongoing program.

Did we sell any airports?

[A voice]

I'm not aware of that, no.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

Apparently you have plans to; it was announced today.

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

I believe you're talking about the media report that was in--

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

Bloomberg today.

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

What the reporter refers to is an access-to-information request for the briefing books for incoming ministers. These things are four or five volumes. They tell the minister about the department, his duties, and the legislation. But along with that, this is one opportunity, a critical function of the public service, to look at policy options and ideas so that one can brief an incoming government and the ministers of the crown on the possibilities at their disposal. These were some of the ideas the department set down on paper; there have been no decisions to take action on these ideas.

Transport Canada holds immense amounts of assets, partly because we have to make sure we hold the land that's necessary--in ports, for example, so that they don't impede transportation or navigation. By the seaway we have huge amounts of land. We own vineyards, half a golf course, a cemetery. So that was the question: what is the role of Transport Canada as we look to the future, especially when the governments are looking at their assets? There's been no decision on this. And this one was written in the public service, as the public service is expected to think through these things.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

Can you make these documents available to us?

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

They were made available through access to information.

I will turn to the chair: is this the wish of the committee? I'm in your hands.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

If they're public access, then you can send them through me and out to the committee.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

My second question is on the green infrastructure fund. How was the decision made to transfer such a large amount of money out of the green infrastructure fund to another fund? And how do I find that in these documents? It doesn't seem to be apparent.

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

The government makes a decision to allocate a certain amount of money--