Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and distinguished members.
I'm pleased to appear before you today to speak about the three Transport Canada statutes that are proposed for amendment under the Budget Implementation Act.
With me today is Kash Ram, director general of motor vehicle safety; Mrs. Kim Benjamin, director of road safety programs, which is in support; and Mr. Michel Leclerc, the director of regulatory affairs coordination.
These proposed amendments flow from Regulatory Cooperation Council action plan commitments that were made in December 2011. Eleven of the Regulatory Cooperation Council's initial 29 initiatives under the Joint Action Plan fell under the transportation team.
To complete implementation of the Motor Vehicle Safety, Transportation of Dangerous Goods and Railway Safety action plans requires that we make these legislative amendments.
As members of this committee know, the Regulatory Cooperation Council's long-term objective is to develop systemic mechanisms that eliminate regulatory obstacles between Canada and the United States
Regulatory inconsistencies can cost money on both sides of the border because the need to comply with two set of regulations is simply not effective when economies are as integrated as Canada's and the United States'. The standards are often identical but expressed as divergent regulatory requirements and manufacturing and distribution costs are passed on to consumers.
Synchronizing the policy development and enactment phases of our respective regulatory processes will lead to mutually supportive and beneficial regulatory frameworks and promote economic growth, job creation and benefits to consumers and businesses.
Canadian and U.S. stakeholders consulted in the fall of 2013 expressed overwhelming positive support for the Regulatory Cooperation Council's initiative. They were particularly supportive of efforts to institutionalize cooperation and remove impediments to speedy alignment when widespread consensus existed.
Accordingly, these legislative amendments are being proposed to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
The Motor Vehicle Safety Act, along with the associated regulations and standards, is the pillar that supports the Motor Vehicle Safety Program in Canada. It regulates the manufacture and importation of motor vehicles and of new tires and equipment used to restrain children and disabled persons inside the vehicle.
The proposed amendments to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act directly support two of the Regulatory Cooperation Council work plan items, as well as the overall objectives of the initiative. These proposed amendments are designed to remove barriers and align vehicle safety regimes, where appropriate, between Canada and the U.S. They are intended to reduce red tape and increase efficiency, while enhancing the safety of Canadians.
These amendments fall into four categories: rule-making; importation; safety, which deals with compliance and enforcement; and information gathering
With respect to rule-making, modified regulation-making provisions will facilitate more efficient ongoing alignment with the U.S. and other international safety standards in those instances where the Government of Canada determines it is appropriate. These proposed changes will allow the Canada motor vehicle safety regime to keep pace with emerging technology in a more efficient manner.
Changes to the importation provisions will allow the importation of vehicles and equipment where it is deemed that the U.S. safety standard achieves the safety outcome required in Canada. They will also remove other importation irritants while continuing to protect the safety of the public.
Changes to the compliance and enforcement provisions will more closely align the Canadian and U.S. regimes, while continuing to protect and serve Canadians.
By improving the ability of Transport Canada to obtain and distribute information related to vehicle safety, it will help keep Canadians informed of issues related to vehicle safety and will enable the government to make better informed policy and regulatory decisions.
These proposed changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act will ensure the safety of vehicles sold to Canadians in a manner that recognizes the integrated nature of the North American auto market.They will reduce industry compliance burdens where appropriate, and respect public expectations of similar safety oversight regimes.
Let us now move on to the two other acts, which are
the Railway Safety Act and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992.
The amendments to the Railway Safety Act and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, are identical and modernize legislative provisions that date back to the earlier 1980s, prior to the Canadian government's adoption of the first-ever federal regulatory policy in 1986.
Members will know that the current versions of the 1986 policy, the cabinet directive on regulatory management, still requires that notice be given of proposed regulations in the Canada Gazette, part I, before they are finally enacted, even in a case where the enabling legislation is silent on the matter. In light of this, it makes sense to apply the same cabinet directive standards as those applied to most other federal regulations with respect to prepublication.
Thank you very much. We would be happy to answer your questions.