Transport Committee on Feb. 28th, 2019

Evidence of meeting #133 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 chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Assessing the Impact of Aircraft Noise in the Vicinity of Major Canadian Airports

Subject Matter of M-177

Subject Matter of the Supplementary Estimates (B), 2018-19: Votes 1b, 5b, 10b and 15b under Department of Transport, Vote 10b under Office of Infrastructure of Canada, Vote 1b under The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc. and Vote 1b under VIA Rail Canada Inc.

Subject Matter of the Interim Estimates 2019-20: Vote 1 under Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, Vote 1 under Canadian Transportation Agency, Votes 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 under Department of Transport, Vote 1 under Marine Atlantic Inc., Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Office of Infrastructure of Canada, Vote 1 under The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc., Vote 1 under VIA Rail Canada Inc. and Vote 1 under Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Colin Carrie Oshawa, CPC

Matt Jeneroux Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Michael Keenan Deputy Minister, Department of Transport

Kelly Gillis Deputy Minister, Infrastructure and Communities, Office of Infrastructure of Canada

Bryce Phillips Chief Executive Officer, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

Jacques Fauteux Director, Government and Community Relations, VIA Rail Canada Inc.

Sandra Martel Interim Chief Executive Officer, The Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.

Churence Rogers Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, Lib.

Anuradha Marisetti Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Did the Minister of Infrastructure or his staff ever talk to you or anyone else in the department about SNC and the case before the courts?

11:25 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Infrastructure and Communities, Office of Infrastructure of Canada

Kelly Gillis

They did not.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Did you or your department ever prepare memos or briefings of any kind—

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Mr. Jeneroux, I'm sorry, I'm going to rule [Inaudible—Editor] out of order.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Madam Chair, absolutely they're not.

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

We want to move on—

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Madam Chair, in the estimates we have the Champlain Bridge. We have the Champlain Bridge here before us. SNC is—

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Then your questions should pertain to the dollar amount, not to what others have done. You're supposed to be asking specific questions on the supplementary estimates.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Your government is talking about jobs and SNC. I'm directly tying this right to SNC and the jobs.

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

I'm going to go on to the next—

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Madam Chair, you can't shut me down. I have three more minutes left in my line of questioning.

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

You have two and a half.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Okay.

Did your department ever prepare memos or briefings of any kind for the minister and/or his staff on how charges could affect SNC-Lavalin and infrastructure contracts that are ongoing or in the future?

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Mr. Jeneroux, it's unrelated to what is before us.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

It is absolutely not unrelated, Madam Chair. A major bridge in Quebec is under construction by a company that is under investigation right now. The Champlain Bridge folks are here. You don't have to protect this deputy minister. She's more than capable of answering the questions herself. The minister himself could very much be here.

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Mr. Jeneroux, I'm going to rule that your questioning is out of order.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

How is the question out of order? Explain to me how the question is out of order, Madam Chair.

11:25 a.m.

An hon. member

It's totally tied to the line of questioning.

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

No, I disagree, and I'm the chair, and I'm going to rule your question out of order.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Madam Chair, I suggest that you don't shut me down. This is exactly what your government is under suspicion for. You're shutting down people right now, and to shut me down for my line of questioning—

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Ask your questions that have to do with the estimates, which is why we have asked people to come to the committee—

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

I just did, Madam Chair.

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro

Mr. Badawey.

February 28th, 2019 / 11:25 a.m.

Liberal

Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON

On a point of order, Madam Chair, may I suggest, if the member wants to challenge the chair, that he do so, and we can go to a vote.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

11:25 a.m.

Edmonton Riverbend, CPC

Matt Jeneroux

Madam Chair, I will ask my questions with regard to SNC-Lavalin that tie in to the estimates, as I have been up to this point. There's no reason why you or anyone else on this committee should have any reason to shut this committee down.

Did any other department provide you or your department with such information regarding SNC-Lavalin?