Evidence of meeting #122 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was airport.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Sheri Benson  Saskatoon West, NDP
Pam Damoff  Oakville North—Burlington, Lib.
Matt Jeneroux  Edmonton Riverbend, CPC
Michael Keenan  Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
Sheilagh Murphy  Assistant Deputy Minister, Lands and Economic Development, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Jeff Knoll  Town and Regional Councillor, Town of Oakville and Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region
Hillary Marshall  Vice-President, Stakeholder Relations and Communications, Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Sandra Best  Chair, Toronto Aviation Noise Group
Renee Jacoby  Founding Chair, Toronto Aviation Noise Group
Robyn Connelly  Director, Community Relations, Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Arif Virani  Parkdale—High Park, Lib.
Robert Oliphant  Don Valley West, Lib.

8:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Okay, so then you are obviously losing the argument within your own caucus. I'll leave it at that.

I also want to state—

8:45 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

I wouldn't put it that way, myself, but you can.

8:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Well, I'd like to, and I will.

I'd like to stay on transportation 2030. It says right in the statement that one of the goals is to decrease the cost of air travel for Canadians. How do you rationalize that with the carbon tax that's been put on aircraft, where there is no other choice but to use jet fuel?

8:45 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

If you had looked in detail at the measures in Bill C-49, which we're very proud of, you would have seen that there were several measures to increase competition. Competition, I think you would agree, has the potential to lower costs. One of the significant measures that we took was to increase foreign ownership in Canadian airlines from the 25% limit that used to exist to 49%. This allows for more foreign investment, up to 49%, in Canadian airlines, and this can generate new, ultra-low-cost carriers, which can help competition, lower prices and offer new destinations.

That's one part of it that we announced in Bill C-49. We also had some other measures dealing with joint ventures.

We think that we're doing good things to increase competition.

8:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

So, because you didn't address the carbon tax issue, I can assume that this is another loss for the Minister of Transport on behalf of Canadian business to the Minister of Environment within this Liberal cabinet.

Let's move on, then. I want to ask whether or not you're satisfied with how our airports are being managed with the current structure that exists for airport authorities.

8:45 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

Yes, I'll answer that.

As for the tail end of your comment, unlike your party unfortunately, we believe that pollution implies costs and that we can't ignore it. It's not free, as your party seems to believe.

Yes, on airports, better is always possible. There's no question. With the increase in the amount of travel by air in this country, there is more and more pressure on our airports. I was very glad to be at Toronto airport recently, which won the prize for the best large airport customer service in North America. However, with more and more passengers, there are more pressures on CATSA, the security organization responsible for ensuring that when you go to the airport—

8:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Yes, I know what CATSA is.

8:45 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

Okay, good. So that is an area where we need to make improvements. I think our airports are coping with the expansion. There are always stories about people not being satisfied, but I think that, generally speaking, our airports do a very good job, especially if you compare them to the airports in other countries of the world.

8:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

I have one last question. I have only six minutes.

This committee is currently doing a study on aircraft noise at large urban centres. One of the things that seem to have come out of the testimony we've had is that it's very difficult to find out who is responsible, at the end of the day, for dealing with these concerns.

I am presuming that we, as a committee, will make several recommendations to you as a minister. Will you confirm today that after receiving a report from this committee and studying it, you will respond to it and it won't simply sit and collect dust?

8:45 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

I always take seriously all reports that come from this committee, so we will look at that, and I value the input that you will be providing on the very important issue of noise.

8:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

But will you respond publicly to the report?

8:45 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

I respond to every report that comes out of this committee.

8:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Thank you.

8:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

It will be one of the requests in our report, when we file it in the House, that they report back in a specified amount of time in the interests of all committee members.

We'll move on to Ms. Damoff. Welcome to the committee this morning.

8:50 a.m.

Pam Damoff Oakville North—Burlington, Lib.

Thank you, Chair.

How much time do I have?

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

You have six minutes.

8:50 a.m.

Oakville North—Burlington, Lib.

Pam Damoff

Minister, thank you for being here today.

You and I have had a number of questions around pedestrian and cycling safety, and I really appreciate your engagement on the issue. I know you announced an intergovernmental task force to improve the safety of vulnerable road users, in particular around heavy vehicles. In the spring of this year, you invited the public to take part in an online consultation.

Could you update us on your efforts on pedestrian and cycling safety?

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

I'll preface my answer by saying that many areas of transport are shared jurisdictions between provinces, in some cases municipalities, and the federal government. Now that more people are walking and biking and there are even bike paths in busy cities, the issue of vulnerable road users that you refer to, pedestrians and cyclists, has brought to light the fact that there have been fatalities and serious injuries, particularly, as you say, from heavy vehicles. In my riding, two people have lost their lives as a result of that.

About a year ago, I decided to work with the provinces to see if we could address this growing problem. As you said, there was consultation. There was a tour of several cities, as well as online input from Canadians, and that led to a report that was published in late summer. That report identified over 50 measures that could be implemented to improve the situation if different levels of government, including the federal, chose to implement them. Some would have a greater effect, and some would have perhaps a lesser effect, but the actual assessment of each measure was not done. It was mainly a listing of all the things that could be done at the three levels of government.

That's a very important document, and we will be following up when I meet with my provincial and territorial counterparts in January to take the next step and make decisions about which measures we should all consider putting in place to make roads safer for Canadians. I'm looking at some federal measures as well, and we will have more to say once we've had that meeting.

8:50 a.m.

Oakville North—Burlington, Lib.

Pam Damoff

Thank you, Minister.

Coupled with what our infrastructure minister has done in funding for infrastructure around active transportation, cycling and walking, it's very much appreciated in my riding and across Canada. Thank you very much.

I'm going to turn it over to my colleague, who has a question for you as well.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Gagan Sikand Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Thank you.

Minister, I had the pleasure of spending the day with you in Mississauga, and I, as well the University of Toronto students, really enjoyed hearing first-hand about your experience of being launched into space.

Earlier in the day, you were speaking at the Mississauga Board of Trade. I am wondering if you could get on the record for the committee some of the numbers you were talking about in terms of transportation announcements in the Peel and GTA region.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

I'd have to dig that up. There were 39 projects. My speech is not at hand with me this morning, but there have been investments in the Peel and York regions. I could get back to you on that.

If memory serves me correctly, there were something like 58 or so projects. I can't remember the exact amount, but it is part of the different programs that Transport Canada regulates and coordinates. I know there were some significant ones, because I mentioned them in the speech. I wouldn't have mentioned them if they hadn't been significant, but I can't remember the numbers offhand. I'm sorry.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Gagan Sikand Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Could we ask for the exact number to be provided to the committee?

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

We can provide those to Mr. Sikand.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Gagan Sikand Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Okay, thank you very much.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

If you could supply them to the clerk, please, she will distribute them to all the members of the committee.