Evidence of meeting #13 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was liability.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
You go on to talk about some of the failings, or shortcomings, pointed out by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. You also underlined the “dangers of sustained budget cuts over many years to an organization with such an essential role to play in spill preparedness and response”. Why don't you explain that to Canadians in terms of your concerns with the Canadian Coast Guard?
Capt Stephen Brown
In the view of the international marine industry, the Canadian Coast Guard has been underfunded for a number of years. That manifests itself in a number of ways. They're really highlighted in the report that you reference and that I referred to in my comments. I think many of the problems that were highlighted in the 2010 report do stem from many years of budget cuts to the Canadian Coast Guard.
One example—and we're getting off topic a little bit—is our leading icebreaker, the Louis St-Laurent, which is more than 40 years old and won't be replaced for at least another eight years. It's those sort of budget cuts that the marine industry is very cognizant of, and with the improvements in funding that have taken place in the last two to three years, we would like to see that sustained, going forward, to ensure that the Coast Guard's mandate can be fully fulfilled.
The recommendations of the tanker safety expert panel refer, on a number of occasions, to the importance of adequate funding for Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, and Environment Canada in order to fulfill their mandate.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
It's pretty hard for us to trumpet to the world that we pursue responsible resource development if we don't see the concomitant, necessary investments in the coast guard.
Conservative
Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON
I've been patiently listening to the member opposite and I have yet to hear a question on Bill C-3, which is the substance before the committee right now. I would appreciate, Chair, if there might be some instruction to members to actually ask questions on it.
Conservative
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Chair, then you probably should have asked Mr. Wilson and Captain Brown not to bring the testimony they brought today. Every single question I've raised today is directly related to the testimony given this morning. Where's the problem?
Mr. Watson may not like the questions, but they are completely drawn from....In fact, I've been very diligent and disciplined in raising the material put forward by the witnesses, and quoting back to them word for word, verbatim.
Where's the problem, Mr. Chair? I need your guidance here because this is not the first time we've had Conservative members challenge questions. I just need to know, where is the line?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
The questions are to pertain to Bill C-3, which we're studying here.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
So, the testimony given here today, Mr. Chair—verbatim—you're saying is out of order?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
I didn't say that and don't put words in my mouth.
Please continue your question on Bill C-3, Mr. McGuinty.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Thank you.
If I could, Mr. Wilson, go directly to your testimony to satisfy my colleagues.
Can you give us an idea of....Throughout your testimony, you asserted several times that there have been no accidents of any significance in the port. Is that right?
Vice-President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Port Metro Vancouver
There have been no navigational incidents involving a tanker. We have had an oil spill, as you're aware, that was land-based from a pipeline rupture several years ago, in 2005.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
So of the 6,500 substances covered by the HNS convention, including liquefied natural gas, propane, and refined fuels and other dangerous cargo, you've had not a single incident in the Vancouver port?
Vice-President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Port Metro Vancouver
We haven't had an incident with a tanker. I'm actually not aware if we've had.... Typically something like, for example, propane isn't shipped in a large way. It's shipped in small ways, usually in lots. It's probably in containers or other ways. I'm not sure if we've ever had an incident with that. But we've never had an incident with a tanker.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
In your testimony you skipped over two lines on page 3 of your written testimony: “Should the government choose to proceed“ with the establishment of a centre of excellence “such a centre could at least in part be funded through the collection of a fee applied to all oil and LNG cargo moving through West Coast ports.”
How would that fee be collected and who would pay for it?
Vice-President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Port Metro Vancouver
It depends. In our situation we have the ability to levy a fee as a port authority. So we've had discussions with industry about such a fee and industry is supportive of it. If the fee is going to be collected from multiple ports, obviously multiple ports need to be involved in that conversation or, indeed, if we were to look at it on a more national basis then there's probably a broader conversation that we'll need to have with Canada in terms of how best to collect it.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Why do we need a centre of excellence for the safe marine transportation of oil and LNG commodities if what we're hearing from the government today is that we have an excellent system?
Vice-President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Port Metro Vancouver
We have an excellent system but one of the opportunities, the legacy opportunity, that these projects provide us is the opportunity to be the best in the world. Last year we led a delegation to Norway to look at Norway's practices, and they are hailed as a global leader. What we found is that actually we have excellent practices here in Canada but why not take this opportunity to do that much more? Currently there isn't one organization that acts as the gathering place for championing best practices and identifying them on a global basis, and we think why shouldn't Canada be a leader in that?
Conservative
Conservative
Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to our witnesses for appearing today, including Madam Legars by video conference this morning. I just want to pick up on where Mr. Mai had been questioning because it's not entirely clear to me.
In the event of an HNS accident or incident, shipowners are only covered by a general liability insurance. Is that what I am to understand, that there is no insurance specific to an HNS incident?