Transport Committee on Feb. 2nd, 2012

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

I understand that regulations have to be drafted precisely, carefully, and meticulously, but I'm sure the Canadian Transportation Agency has had many years to consider what kinds of regulations it wants to put forward. By January 26 of this year, the U.S. had already implemented its law, and the Europeans did so on November 1, 2008. So there are examples out there of the kinds of regulations that would be required.

I just took a look at the website to see what it would cost if I were to take a plane to go to Hong Kong. I searched Air Canada, and it told me I could fly there for $495. If I fly Cathay Pacific, which is a big airline with a lot of flights to Hong Kong and China, it's $1,009. Now, I like people to travel Air Canada, because it's Canadian, but that price is not very truthful. Other major airlines already are very up front on how much they cost. I'm sure by the time you add up whatever the amounts are for fuel charges and everything else, it's not $495, but probably closer to or maybe even over $1,000. It's really not fair and not honest to consumers.

I looked at my calendar. March break is the middle of March. If the government wanted to, it could draft the regulations now. Given all this preparation time, they could probably be done very rapidly, maybe in a week or two. They would then be published in the Canada Gazette. There is usually a consultation period of 30 days built in. You might actually make the March break. So the minister could show up at the airport and say that finally we have this law in place and you will now get truth in advertising, instead of just announcing that it will happen in a year.

It's not too much to ask, and I just hope things move along a bit faster. Rather than taking one year to draft the regulations, perhaps it could be done in a few weeks or a month. Surely, it shouldn't take that long to draft regulations.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Holder.

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

Thank you, Chair. It's a pleasure to be at this committee.

My Cape Breton mother used to say about politicians that after it's all said and done, there's a lot more said than done. The good news is I don't sense that around this committee table thus far. I think people have been succinct and thoughtful.

In the same spirit of that, I'd like to call the question if I may.

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

All right. Do it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Regrettably, you cannot do that.

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

I can't?

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

Let's hear you speak.

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

Oh no, I was ready.

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

No, he can ask. He can call the question--

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you, anyway.

Mr. Coderre.

As long as there are people willing and able to present--

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

I would like to recognize my colleague Ed, which is why I am going to speak.

Mr. Chair, the government is entitled to take a certain amount of time and is right to do so. In light of what my colleague Olivia has just said, we cannot enact the regulations immediately because enacting them implies that they have to go into the Canada Gazette and that there is a consultation period.

The Liberal Party cannot vote for this because it is not accurate and it is not possible to enact regulations immediately. If she had said “in the next two months”, right away it would be possible to get it into the Canada Gazette. I don't feel that writing a regulation takes a lot of time. The problem comes afterwards. With the shortest consultation period for regulations—on security, for example—we have even got it done in 30 days because we knew that we could talk to each other quickly.

So we cannot move to enact these regulations immediately. It is not possible. Given what we know, and the fact that we have to fall in line with the Americans quickly, it would have been different if Ms. Chow had said ”by April 1, 2012”.

I can understand, given the lack of experience of the NDP members who have never held power. They do not know how a government works. But we can find the middle ground and come up with a practical way of doing it. May I make an amendment, Mr. Chair?

Listening to the two sides, I think we could have a compromise if we passed the following amendment:

That the government enact the regulations by April 1, 2012.

So my proposal is to remove the word “immediately”. As I see it, that reflects the position of everyone here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Is there further comment?

All right, we have an amendment to the motion proposed by Monsieur Coderre that we remove the word “immediately“ and add “April 1, 2012”.

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

April Fool's Day.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Coincidentally.

(Amendment negatived)

We will now vote on the main motion, and we have a request by Ms. Chow for a recorded vote.

(Motion negatived: nays 8; yeas 4)

Seeing that there's no further business, I'll adjourn the meeting and we'll see everybody on Tuesday. The amendments are to be given to the clerk by the end of the day and distributed as soon as they're received. Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.