Evidence of meeting #17 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
That's what the inspectors say.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
I agree with that. My concern is that people might play politics regarding the fleet, and I think those fleets are useful.
My question is do we use them enough? Is that 300 hours per year accurate, and if it's not enough, why can't we use them more?
3:45 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
First of all, flying the planes has a cost. We're trying to balance the need of the inspectors so they can keep current, and also marry it with the actual work they have to do. I think what was in the media is that the planes were flying empty. We're in a difficult situation, because if you had other people going to the same location, if we put them on the plane.... But we have a policy that says they should fly commercial. Will it save the government more money? Probably, but it becomes a little complicated. So we're using it for our regulatory process.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC
It's safety and it's training, so if you have to use them for that, I think that's accurate.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
We're using them, but we sold some of ours in Ottawa because that wasn't used for that purpose.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Thank you very much for coming.
I'm looking at the supplementary estimates (B) 2011-2012, pages 130 to 137. There is a budgetary summary, “Transport Infrastructure and Communities Portfolio”. I want to go through each item in this table and seek a very brief explanation as to the changes in the amounts voted by Parliament to the department and its agencies.
On the whole, the department had a net change in authorities of $76.2 million. That's a 5% change. Is there a summary of what caused that change?
3:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
Sure. I'm not going to give you the line by line, but I'm going to give you the general summaries.
There's a big entry there about the Atlantic ferries. This money is needed to cover their operating expenses, the repairs, and there's a tiny bit of money for operations of Transport Canada.
Then there's money for first nations. This is for Prince Rupert, the port on the west coast. They are trying to expand the port activities, and in order to do that they had to negotiate with four first nations. This is the money for the settlement they have reached.
Next is regional and remote passenger rail services. This is Keewatin, in northern Manitoba; Algoma Central, in northwestern Ontario; and Tshiuetin, in northeast Quebec. This is an ongoing service the government gives money to. It is operating money for them.
With respect to contaminated sites, Transport Canada is eligible for $52 million, and the $13 million is this year's portion.
The marine shore power program is a really interesting program. When the boats dock they don't leave their engines on; they plug themselves in. Then you don't have greenhouses gases, etc.
The Port of Prince Rupert got $3 million from us in 2010-11, but they had a problem with their cables. They couldn't replace the cables, so we're reprofiling the money.
The Oshawa Harbour port consolidation settlement between the city and the port authority was something about fencing and landscaping that couldn't be done in time.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Are you focusing now on costs that were absorbed in 2011-12 that would not typically be absorbed? I'm talking about the change in the authorization.
December 7th, 2011 / 3:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
These are things that are being moved forward, or this is the money needed for us to do all of these things.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
Some of them are, but some of them are not.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
The change in the authority is the increase from year to year. I'm trying to find out what exactly led to a 5% increase this year over a previous year.
3:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
I'll ask our CFO. Maybe I'm not answering it....
3:50 p.m.
André Morency Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management and Crown Corporation Governance, Corporate Services, Department of Transport
In any fiscal year the budget is set early in the year, of course, and once the.... Actually the estimates are set before the budget is, but traditionally things are announced in the budget. During the course of the year we make adjustments to our budget based on things that have been announced in the budget. We go to the board and we get approval for spending on programs.
In any given year there could be a swing of 10%, 5%. In some years there could be no change in terms of—
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
I understand. I'm very familiar with the supplementary estimates process. I'm just trying to find out what exactly caused the swing this year. Were those the items that the—
3:55 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management and Crown Corporation Governance, Corporate Services, Department of Transport
That were not included in the main estimates at the time the main estimates were set for the department because the process had yet to go through Treasury Board to get approval to spend that money.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
All right.
I notice a very large decline, a change in net authorities for the National Capital Commission. To what does that decline relate?
3:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
The National Capital Commission used to be in the transport, infrastructure, and communities portfolio. After the elections the government made a machinery-of-government decision and moved that organization under the Minister of Foreign Affairs. So the whole thing went from our portfolio and it was deposited in their portfolio.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Okay. And with respect to the office of infrastructure, was the increase here due to the fulfilment of EAP invoices?
