Transport Committee on March 25th, 2014

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

I understand it was an hour for the minister, but I'm—

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

I have other commitments. It said until 10 o'clock and I planned accordingly.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

At 10 o'clock?

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Yes.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Minister, I'd like to discuss how the investments are made.

You mentioned $70 billion in funding. Is the government conducting a study on the economic repercussions locally? When investments are made, is there a requirement to ensure that the communities concerned derive economic benefits?

Let's take the Champlain Bridge, for example. Imagine how many jobs would be created if there was a Canadian component requirement, which would be entirely in keeping with the free-trade agreements we have with other countries.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes.

Okay.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

We, of course, work with our partners as part of the overall plan.

I would just like to mention, by the way, that the repairs to the existing Champlain Bridge and the new bridge for the St. Lawrence have nothing at all to do with the infrastructure plan we're discussing.

That's not at all financed; it's important to remember that.

We are going to hold two open houses when site visits will be conducted. We hope that Quebec and Canadian companies will be awarded many contracts; it is important to point that out. We are going to put out a call for tenders. Highway 30 was done by a Spanish consortium in partnership with Quebec stakeholders. We hope that as many Canadian companies as possible receive contracts in Montreal.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

When Quebec solicits bids for its public transit project, local economic spinoff is one of the requirements.

In the case of the Champlain Bridge, we're talking about a project valued at $3 billion to $5 billion, which could generate up to 10,000 jobs. But if the government does nothing, in other words, if it doesn't impose a requirement, we could lose all those jobs. If the whole thing is left up to a private firm, it could solicit bids, and the concrete could from China, for example.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Public-private partnerships create jobs for many people in the region. I imagine the local company that builds the consortium and wins the contract for the bridge in Montreal will also want to win the contract for the Windsor-Detroit bridge. It would have two contracts in Canada instead of just one, and that would give it the ability to employ even more people in the region.

We are doing everything we can. The open houses are specifically for local contractors, to give them access to consortiums that will submit bids. Then we will make our decision. That's how we intend to proceed, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Mr. Watson, for two and a half minutes.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Thank you to the minister for being here.

You know the program is a good one when the opposition have to go to great lengths to try to manufacture criticisms about it. The biggest whopper is the one perpetrated by the Liberal Party that there are actual cuts in funding for infrastructure. I think they are hoping to count on the complexities of what's in a budget, the timing of spending in an estimate, and the public accounts that verify at the end of it. I think they are hoping Canadians will buy that argument.

The truth is, the money is budgeted, announced in budget 2013. The estimates will track the actual timing of spending as the allocations are made. Gas tax transfers will go out first, because they are a direct transfer to a municipality. Invoices as they come on stream from completed projects will be reflected in estimates, and then ultimately, the public accounts will clean up how much was actually spent in a year.

Is that a fair, accurate representation, that there's actually no cut to the funding? It's the timing of spending they are trying to use as a means of somehow suggesting there's no funding available.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

If we announce a project in 2014-15, and some of these projects will take years to build, we can budget the money the year it starts. That's the way it works. That's always the way it worked.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

A good example would be the DRIC, Detroit River international crossing, funding. A border and gateway crossing fund was set aside in budget 2006. The budget made it a cash allocation in this current budget. The estimates ultimately will track the timing of the spending, and then at some point the public accounts will clear up how much we're spending.

That's the process, but there has been no cut to DRIC funding, for example. Nobody would suggest that based on estimates.

I know that's not your particular piece of infrastructure, but it's a good example of how they're creating a ruse with this one.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

You're right. We had some comments that there is no money for the construction of the new bridge in Montreal in that budget. That's exactly the same. We're preparing the process, and at the right time, the money will be there.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Also, the NDP.... On the idea of there being a construction delay because of P3 screening taking some time, the reality is other components of the building Canada plan will be kicking in and construction projects will be happening every single construction season while those screenings are happening.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

You're right.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Very good.

Thank you, Chair.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I have a point of order, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

A point of order, and not debate.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think we're coming to the end of our session, but I wanted to follow up on something.

I thought I heard the minister make a commitment under questioning that he would deliver up to the committee all the internal and external analyses conducted with respect to Pont Champlain, to the bridge. I want to make sure I got that clear, and that it's on the record the minister will be delivering up all the analyses inside and outside the department that justifies the question of tolls.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I didn't hear that, but I'll let the minister—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I thought I did.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

You know exactly where we are. We already have announced that we're in the process to give a contract to a company, and this information is sensitive for the way it will go.

We're working on putting a call for tenders together and companies will bid. I did not say what Mr. McGuinty believes he heard. But we have already said publicly that any information that might benefit a company in preparing its bid would be released after the contract was awarded.

The same thing was done in the case of highways 25 and 30 in Montreal. In those cases, the tolls were revealed weeks, if not months, before the roads were opened. We will release that information way ahead of time.

The calculations have been done. For the time being, however, that is confidential, sensitive information that cannot be released because it could influence the public bidding process under way. We don't want to drive costs up. If the member wishes to do so, that is his prerogative. We balance budgets. We know they don't do it themselves.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I take it that means he's not going to deliver up the analyses, Mr. Chair. If I got the translation, I take it that means he will not deliver up to this committee the analyses for the bridge.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

He wants to play games, Mr. Chair. All the reports related to safety and all the information of a public nature has been released. The member should not try to prove something that doesn't exist.

We already said financial information that could influence the cost proposed by the company in its bid would not be made public until after the contract was awarded. That's what was said before, and I just repeated it.

As for other reports on the bridge's safety and the work that's been done, representatives from the corporation in charge of the file, Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated, could answer the member's questions.