Evidence of meeting #75 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 projects.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Again, this is not a closed versus open perspective, but in the bidding for your airport, have union groups successfully bid on the business at your airport?
President and Chief Executive Officer, Fort McMurray Airport Authority
Not as unions.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Fort McMurray Airport Authority
I'm not aware that a lot of that goes on in Fort McMurray.
Conservative
President and Chief Executive Officer, Fort McMurray Airport Authority
Of course there are companies that have union workers working for them.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Fort McMurray Airport Authority
Yes.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
I come back to the point I was suggesting with Mr. Taylor, that to me whether you're a union member or a non-union member is irrelevant, it's an issue of whether you are qualified and then there should be a fairness to your ability to work. You're suggesting, Mr. Clements, that just because you belong to a union it should not exclude your ability to do qualified labour at the Fort McMurray airport.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Fort McMurray Airport Authority
I think you said it best when you said it doesn't matter. I would be agnostic as long as the work gets done.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Maybe we should all be a little more agnostic when it comes to that—
Conservative
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Shame, we were just getting on so well.
I appreciate the comment. We should all be a little bit more agnostic as it relates to getting qualified people in to do the job. I think competition then takes care of itself.
Thank you both.
Conservative
NDP
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank our esteemed guests for joining us.
I only have five minutes, and I would like to have a quick discussion with Mr. Taylor. So let's keep the questions and answers short, if possible.
I don't think Quebec has a counterpart to the National Citizens Coalition. Who makes up your membership? Are we talking about citizens, associations, companies? Who can become a member of your coalition?
Director, National Citizens Coalition
We count tens of thousands of average hard-working Canadians within our ranks and if you donate to our organization and sign up for our newsletter—I'd be happy to sign you up today, if you'd like.
NDP
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
Thank you. We can discuss that later.
Unless I am mistaken, in your opening remarks, you established a quick link between competition and the labour movement—as if true competition could not exist among unionized companies. In any case, that is how I understood your remarks.
Am I mistaken or is that really what you said?
Director, National Citizens Coalition
I would say there is competition among unions. Closed tendering cuts out other unions who are not part of those favoured few, who aren't able to bid on the same projects. Closed tendering not only hurts non-union jobs, it also hurts unions.
NDP
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
I understand the principle you are invoking to illustrate the difference between open and closed tendering. However, I have a problem with the connection established between open and closed tendering, and unionized and non-unionized companies.
In your presentation, you also talked about the opinions you are sharing with our committee. I understand your message, but I am looking for objective advice and not opinions. How could we turn your opinions into objective advice?
For instance, you are saying that costs skyrocket by 40%. We have been hearing about those figures in this committee for weeks now. But what study or statistical base are you getting that information from? A distinction should also be made between fraud, patronage and competition.
NDP
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
You yourself said that you were expressing an opinion. How could we turn your opinion into objective advice that could be used in our current study?
Director, National Citizens Coalition
I quoted from statistics. I quoted that—
NDP
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
But where did you get this 40% increase? Does that information come from the Cardus study?
Director, National Citizens Coalition
Yes, I can refer you to the City of Hamilton report from 2007 or I can refer you to the “Cardus Construction Competitiveness Monitor” from 2012 for these statistics. I believe the “Cardus Construction Competitive Monitor” is one of the only empirical studies done on open versus closed tendering processes in Ontario.
NDP
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
So I will ask you another question, as we have already received that study.
Do you think this study that covers a few Ontario examples—which we hear plenty about—applies to all Canadian cities?
