Transport Committee on April 23rd, 2015

Evidence of meeting #52 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 fund.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-52, An Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and the Railway Safety Act

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Shawn Tupper Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Department of Transport

Laureen Kinney Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security, Department of Transport

Michael Bourque President and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Association of Canada

James Beardsley Chairman, Global Rail Practice, Marsh and McLennan Companies, Railway Association of Canada

Lois Gardiner Senior Vice-President, Risk Consulting, Western Canada, Aon Global Risk Consulting, Railway Association of Canada

Robert Taylor Assistant Vice-President, North American Advocacy, Canadian Pacific Railway, Railway Association of Canada

Terry Berthiaume President and Chief Executive Officer, Essex Terminal Railway Company, Railway Association of Canada

Phil Benson Lobbyist, Teamsters Canada

Jean Patenaude Assistant General Counsel, Canadian National Railway Company, Railway Association of Canada

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

They have looked at their priorities and their projects for this year and they have determined that this is the amount of money they need.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Minister, you run the department—

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

I do.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

—so was there a cut in your budgets? Please just answer the question. It's right here in black and white.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

I understand what you're saying, Mr. McGuinty, but the reality is that they set what the projects and the priorities are for the department, and they indicate—

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

I'm sure they do, and they do a good job of it. So was there a cut in terms of the funding?

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

They indicate how much money they need. They have indicated—

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

So they indicated they needed—

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

—that they didn't need as much as they had in previous years. But they—

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Okay. So they indicated that they needed 11% less.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

Mr. Chair, can I finish answering the question?

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Larry Miller

Yes.

Mr. McGuinty, last time you crossed the line, and I let you get away with it. If you want her to answer the question, please let her answer the question.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

I'd be delighted. I've asked it six times in a row.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Larry Miller

I think I've heard the answer.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

The proposal for 2015 and 2016 is the amount they've put forward. If they find through the year that they need to ask for more money, they always have the ability to do that through supplementary estimates—

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Okay.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

—and we have done so in the past.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Right. So there has been a cut. Thank you, Minister. I appreciate that.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

I did not say there was any such thing, Mr. McGuinty. They are operating on the resource level they asked for. It's what they wanted.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

So what is the budget for this year, Minister?

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

I don't have that number in front of me, Mr. McGuinty, because I'm here to talk about our safe and accountable rail act.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

So am I.

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

I can help in terms of preparing....

You can tell me what it is, because obviously you have it in front of you.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

You don't have the budget numbers as Minister of the Department of Transport in front of you today?

3:50 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Halton, ON

I did not come with the budget numbers—