Transport Committee on March 6th, 2012

[Dr. Sam Shaw]

I think you would get the same thing as you would get in India. Industry would respond with the OEMs to put product on the market. You just saw the announcement of GM decreasing the production of the Volt because it's not a good seller.

I will get back to California. They did a study. Because they have 651 coal-fired generation plants in the U.S., from well to wheels, an electric vehicle is more carbon intense because they are so intent on coal-fired generation, as opposed to Canada.

There's product in the marketplace. We could do that.

[Jim Facette]

Mr. Chairman, if the federal government decided to convert any or all of its 32,000 vehicles to propane, the supply of propane would not be a problem. There are conversion garages across the country that could handle it within two to three years without any problem.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

With that, I will thank both our guests today. It was very informative. I'll ask you to step away from the table and I'll ask committee members to stay, as we have a motion before us.

We'll take a one-minute recess and thank our guests. We'll suspend for one minute while we clear the table....

With that, I will thank both our guests today. It was very informative. I'll ask you to step away from the table and I'll ask committee members to stay, as we have a motion before us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I will advise the committee that as I was expecting either a motion or that the supplementary estimates and main estimates were coming forward, I invited the minister to appear. He has confirmed March 27 for us, but I know Ms. Chow has a motion for March 13.

The March 27, just for your information, would be past the date of the supplementary estimates, but we could discuss the main estimates, as they would be before the committee at the same time.

I will defer to Ms. Chow and give her the option of what she may or may not want to do.

Go ahead, Ms. Chow.

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

Mr. Chair, I am moving this motion again because we do have two more dates. If the minister is not available to come on March 8 or 13, we could certainly try for other dates.

I was going to amend my motion slightly to read “...that the Committee invite the Hon. Minister to appear on March 13, 2012, or any available time prior to the supplementary estimates (C) reporting to the House of Commons on March 26”.

I say that because there are five areas, whether it's the elimination of the green infrastructure funds, the cut in the VIA Rail funds, or the transport safety program cut, where there are lots of questions on the supplementary estimates (C). I would like to ask the minister some questions. We missed the last round in supplementary estimates because he was not available and we had the interruption.

I know there are the main estimates, but we have until May to deal with them. We could certainly work with the minister for a time in April. I don't want to lump both the supplementary estimates and the main estimates together, because there are different issues involved in each. As it is, we are not spending that much time dealing with the transport budget.

I put this is front of you and ask for a vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Is there any further comment?

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

I would like a recorded vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Ms. Chow has suggested she would amend her motion. We've heard the discussion. We know she would be looking at alternate dates.

Before we vote, knowing or confirming that the minister will be here on the 27th, is it the wish of the committee that I uninvite him for the 27th?

Go ahead, Mr. Coderre.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

I would like some information. We are tabling a motion to invite the minister when in fact he is already supposed to be coming. I am trying to understand. Is that the only date when the minister can come, or can he come before the supplementary estimates (C) are tabled, on March 26?

Otherwise this is redundant. We are making a resolution for the sake of making a resolution. The minister is available, he is coming on March 27. Could he come before? I do not understand how this motion is relevant.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

That was the question I had asked him too. Knowing the supplementary estimates (C) were coming up, I asked him if he could be available and to give me his date, and he returned with the 27th. He is willing to talk about the main estimates and the supplementary estimates (C). Main estimates are a general discussion about the budget.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Will he be here for the entire two-hour period? We do not want to have him for only one hour.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I'll check on that. I know he and his staff are available for the two hours. I will verify whether he is committed for the full two hours.

Okay, we have a motion before us by Ms. Chow ,and she's asked for a recorded vote.

I call the question.

(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 5 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Again I will ask the question of the committee: is it the will of the committee to have the minister appear on the 27th? If so, I do have to make some changes on committee invitations.

Go ahead, Ms. Chow.

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

Would that be for the supplementary estimates (C) or the main estimates or both?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

The main estimates cover the waterfront, or that has been the case in this committee.

Technically, because the supplementary estimates are passed, it would involve discussion on the main estimates, but as I've said before, I don't think this committee has ever restricted anybody from asking broad-based questions of the minister. I will make him aware that such questions may be a part of the discussion.

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

That means we would not have another round for the main estimates. March 27 will deal with the main budget.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

It will deal with the main budget, but it's up to the will of the committee if we want to invite him for another meeting. We can certainly decide that afterward.

Have a good morning. Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.