Evidence of meeting #15 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 million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Canada
Thank you. That's an excellent suggestion for phase two.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Thank you very much, Ms. Duncan.
I gather from one side of the table that their questions have all been answered.
I understand, Ms. Block, that you have a question that is really important.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
I have. I'm going to go back to CATSA, because I have a number of questions that I want to ask. These are with respect to the user-pay system that we have in Canada for security.
I know there's a difference between what is paid per direction for domestic passengers and what is paid for international passengers. What I want to know is why security for international flights is more expensive than for domestic flights. What's involved in the security for an international flight that causes the cost to go from $7.12 per direction to $24.21 per direction?
4:50 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
I'll pass that question to Helena, because CATSA actually has nothing to do with that fee.
4:50 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Department of Transport
Often, the additional work that is required relates to the baggage. As Angus mentioned, there's the pre-board screening that the passengers go through, and then there's the baggage screening. For many of the domestic flights you're talking about, there's no baggage at all: it gets carried on.
For international flights, there are usually large amounts of baggage and more than one piece. All of that baggage has to be screened, as do the passengers, and often, with the passengers who are travelling internationally, there is a lot more baggage that they're carrying on their person.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
The second question would be, because it's a user-pay system, who ends up paying for the security expense for the enhanced screening of airport staff?
4:50 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Department of Transport
Presently, it's the federal government that is paying. It's the amount that Mr. Watt spoke about earlier, the non-passenger screening, because that is for the workers. As of this point, it's the Government of Canada.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC
The clean water and waste-water fund is a fund that has been newly set up. Is that correct?
Okay.
My question arises because under the building Canada fund and under the green infrastructure fund that were set up in 2009, those waste-water projects were captured. There was also a list of projects for which the funds were earmarked for projects of interest, but they hadn't been announced yet. I would expect that the Lions Gate waste-water one would have been one of those, because I know they've been in negotiation for at least four years on that piece.
I'm trying to keep track of all this, because we're moving it out of one fund and putting it in another fund. We're saying that here are the shortened criteria, yet this has already been in process for a number of years.
Can we get a list that lays out those projects that had been earmarked for funds but that weren't announced?
4:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Canada
Let me just come back to Lions Gate, because I want to clarify that the funding for Lions Gate is actually in the new building Canada fund, which is no longer new; it's the previous new building Canada fund. Those funds were confirmed through budget 2016 to go to that project. It's not part of the clean water and waste-water fund.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC
That project doesn't fall under that one. Okay, because you had said that it was for the waste-water fund. At any rate, can we get that list?
4:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Canada
I don't have a list of projects that have been earmarked. We could follow up with your office if you want to get more clarity.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC
You had redacted it out of a document that I had requested—not you personally. I would just like to get the list if I could, please.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I want to table two motions that go directly to the supplementary estimates (A) that we're looking at.
The first is:That the Committee invite the Auditor General to provide a briefing on his Spring 2016 Special Examination Report-Via Rail Canada Inc.
My second is:That the Committee extend an invitation to the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainable Development to provide a briefing on the following tabled reports: Report 1 - Federal Support for Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure & Report 2 - Mitigating the Impacts of Severe Weather.
Both of those, I think, relate very directly to the proposal for funds in these areas.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
It will be.
Ms. Borges, would it be possible to send me a document explaining the difference in baggage fees for domestic flights and those for international flights? I'm having a lot of trouble understanding this. It can't just be the number of bags, there must be other explanations, surely. I am having trouble understanding all of it.
Could you explain all of that to me briefly?
4:55 p.m.
Associate Deputy Minister, Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Department of Transport
Yes. There are also other activities to consider, for instance persons assigned to baggage handling, and the CATSA employees who monitor travellers and their luggage. There are also funds invested to solve potential international security issues.
Other costs are included in the fees.