Transport Committee on Oct. 28th, 2014

[Capt Phillip Nelson]

No, we don't generally have passenger vessels, for instance. Our members operate towboats. They tow barges and bulk cargoes around the coast of B.C. mainly. There's everything from petroleum products to lumber. They also tow logs up and down the coast. Among our members we have the largest private ferry operation in Canada, but that is all cargo—it's not a passenger ferry operation—so they take dangerous goods on board their vessels between the lower mainland and Vancouver to Vancouver Island.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you for that.

With that, I believe we have about two minutes each, and just to remind the members and the witnesses that this is two minutes for the question and answer. I have to be strict because of the time restrictions.

Mr. Mai.

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

To the Canadian Shipowners Association, I saw in your brief that you submitted to the finance committee regarding pre-budget consultations some of the things that you asked for. One of the main concerns out of five recommendations was with respect to the Canadian Coast Guard fleet asking for a renewal strategy. You've dealt a lot with them. Can you explain to us what the challenges are and how it affects our safety?

[Robert Lewis-Manning]

The Canadian Coast Guard provides our membership with primarily icebreaking services. They do a lot more for other stakeholders, but that is the service that we use the most of—

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

We have a point of order from Mr. Watson.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Yes. The focus of the study is on safety management systems and the transportation of dangerous goods regime, not the coast guard, if you will, unless he's asking whether the coast guard has an SMS or transports dangerous goods.

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

Well, if Mr. Watson had followed what we talked about, we have here the Canadian Shipowners Association, which is transporting dangerous goods. They are saying what is important for them. My question was regarding safety. If you have a ship that is carrying dangerous goods and it needs to have coast guard protection to make sure we are safe, I think that's important.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Please continue.

[Robert Lewis-Manning]

Yes, that service is important to our safe transit of vessels and especially for conditions under ice.

We know that the coast guard has a very good strategy and plan in place to renew its fleet. We're supportive of that renewal strategy. We realize that it is a very complex undertaking to build ships, so we are trying to find ways to make sure we can be supportive of the fleet renewal strategy of the coast guard.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think we are now straying from where we are. Acquisition of new ships or acquiring new ships really has nothing to do with it. If you want to speak specifically to safety and how the coast guard deals with it when necessary, that's fine.

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

Maybe I can clarify my question if I have time.

When your ships are carrying dangerous goods and you're going through ice, it's important to have protection regarding ice. Am I correct or not?

[Robert Lewis-Manning]

Correct: icebreaking is an enabler.

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

So if you have—

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

You can have a last comment. You have a few seconds.

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

My comment is that we want to make sure the shipowners who are carrying dangerous goods are carrying them safely. What the shipowners are asking for is that our coast guard be better equipped. I think it's important for us to understand that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you.

Mr. McGuinty, you have two minutes.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

It's impossible not to respond to my colleague, the parliamentary secretary. I just want to make sure that everyone is aware of the numbers from the “Public Accounts of Canada” 2011-12 and 2012-13. In my background, Mr. Chair, the numbers never lie. Always follow the money and find out where priorities are for the government by following the money. From one year to the next, they dropped from $75,594,201 to $56,492,575. When Mr. Watson speaks about “efficiencies”, it reminds me of Mr. Justice Dennis O'Connor's report about the Walkerton crisis. He talked about the previous government in Ontario, referring to efficiencies having led to a lot of water inspectors being let go and having led to the tragedy of Walkerton.

Mr. Nelson, you said that after your pilot project with SMS in five separate companies, you had a meeting with Transport Canada, and you put forward the recommendation that all vessels, regardless of size, have SMS in place, mandatory, but tailored to size and scope of vessel.

What did Transport Canada say to you when you made that recommendation?

[Capt Phillip Nelson]

At the time of the meeting, they said that sounded like a good idea and they would look into developing such a system. We called it the small vessel compliance program. It did not come to fruition in the end.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Were any reasons given? Financial, pecuniary, capacity, not a priority...? Were you given any kind of feedback?

[Capt Phillip Nelson]

Nothing substantial.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Lewis-Manning and Mr. Chomniak, can you respond to that? Do you have any knowledge of this?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

You have 10 seconds.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

In 10 seconds, I guess, do you have any knowledge as to why Transport Canada is not prepared to move in this direction, which all three of you apparently are calling for?

[Robert Lewis-Manning]

I don't have any information to support it either way.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you.