Transport Committee on June 5th, 2014

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

I appreciate that we're not talking about it being a replacement, but in its true form....

In your questionnaire survey you ask, “Do you believe a properly implemented safety management systems (SMS) could improve aviation safety in Canada?” That was one of the questions. The yes response under AO was 81%, and under TI was 66%, so would you agree with me that, properly implemented, it would improve aviation safety in Canada?

[Christine Collins]

Yes.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

So it's a question in large measure of implementation.

[Christine Collins]

Yes.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Then the last question said, “Do you have a suggestion to improve Safety with respect to SMS?”

Could you tell me some suggestions for improvements that were given by persons in response to that survey? I'm still referring to Ms. Collins.

Are you able to—

[Christine Collins]

I am not able to at this—

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Do you have that information available somewhere—

[Christine Collins]

Wait a minute.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

—and would you be prepared to provide it to this committee?

[Capt Daniel Slunder]

I have that information. I will dig it up and get it to the committee.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Then also with respect to the Library of Parliament, one of the survey questions said that there's belief that SMSs prevent the correction of safety problems in a timely fashion.

In the pure sense as we've been talking about it, tell me how you think that might be so if you support that assertion in the survey. If you don't that's fine.

Ms. Collins.

[Christine Collins]

I think it's a result of not having direct and unannounced inspections.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Then it says the SMS regime will increase the chances of a major aviation accident.

What's your basis for saying that?

[Christine Collins]

The basis for saying that is that it's implemented as a replacement layer, not as an additional layer to the traditional.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

So you would agree with me that if it were doing what it was meant to do, being an additional layer of safety, then you would agree that it actually is an improvement in safety, and something you would fully and 100% endorse?

[Christine Collins]

Yes, I've always said that we support safety management systems as an additional layer. I fully support—

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

We've reached our time?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Sorry, I thought you were done there, Ms. Collins.

I thank our witnesses for being here.

Mr. Chalmers, thanks very much for joining us so early from Vancouver.

[An hon. member]

Point of order....

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

We have to apologize for cutting short, but we have, as I said, emergency votes.

We'll adjourn the meeting—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Chair, I asked twice for a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

A point of order? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. On a point of order....

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

The clerk was trying to get your attention. Can we go back into committee session?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes. What's your point of order?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I received the notice of meeting for Thursday, June 12, and it says the witnesses are from the Department of Transport, and then in the minutes of our proceedings, we agreed that the officials from Transport Canada and the Auditor General's office would be invited to appear.

Can you table the letter of invitation to the AG and the response declining, I suppose?