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.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Yes. The date of August 1, 2017, is completely inadequate because it sunsets on that date. For us to undertake a study prior to that date and then table it, it would have to be tabled in February or something for there to be long-term measures in place.
This is quite a complex measure. It's part of the Emerson report, which I had recommended we review. Are we pulling this part out of the Emerson report and saying we will singularly study that and not anything else related to grain transport and so forth?
If you say it is needed expeditiously, then I would suggest you would be saying that we conduct a study this fall, so that there can be appropriate action taken and so there is a long-term resolution of the matter well in advance of it sunsetting again. Otherwise we're up against that deadline of doing the same thing again and taking away the sunsetting.
I don't understand why you would say prior to August 1. I would say that is a little too close to the line.
Would you be open to moving that vastly forward? Then we have to discuss what is going to happen with all the other studies that we had proposed to do. We have a pile of motions that people tabled long ago, which we haven't dealt with.
We need to talk about where this fits in with all the other reports we are going to do. I know the Liberal members wanted to have a long discussion about future infrastructure framework. We have the marine.... We have a whole bunch of things that have already been submitted. We haven't had a steering committee meeting since the first one.
I would feel a lot more comfortable looking at this—not that I am saying it is a bad thing to look at—in the context of all the other issues that people are champing at the bit for us to look at. Then the critical timing on this.... We also need to talk to the agriculture committee and find out if they are also planning to do a study on this.
You may want to simply do the first part first, and then maybe our steering group could meet with the agriculture steering group and figure out what the best way is to move forward so that both parties, the rail industry and the farm producers, are content with the way we are going to do the review.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
I was just going to offer some clarification. The sunset we are looking at is August 1 this year, so we need to do something now, before the end of the session, in order to—
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
The minister has already committed to doing it, so just do it.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
This is the language and the resolution needed in the House in order to make it actually happen. That is my understanding.
Your second part, on item 2.... There can be some discussion about the timing of the longer-range view of interswitching and what it means in the grand scheme of things. Again, I submit that there may be some time sensitivity to that as well, because I am of the understanding that the Emerson report really suggests going in quite a different direction—
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
—and the degree to which the government wants to get the Emerson report done like dinner, basically, may suggest that we need to move on this, first, more quickly, and second, independently of a longer and more in-depth study of the Emerson report. As you probably know, Linda, this is really important to the grain farmers, the pulses...a lot of people.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I certainly do. I have met with all of them, and they are adamant—
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
—but if the date is not satisfactory, that is not going to make them happy—that we are going to report by August 1 next year. It's the same old, same old thing again. If it is that urgent, the date needs to be majorly moved forward, if we are saying that our review needs to be dealt with expeditiously.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I am not opposed to that, but in fairness, we need to talk about what is going to happen to all of the other proposed reviews that various members have tabled.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
We can discuss that on Wednesday, because hopefully we have an hour set aside for committee business on Wednesday. Possibly our draft report will be ready for Wednesday, so we can discuss the various issues at that time.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
My understanding of the second part was that—again, this is a way of our also exerting a little bit of our own independence as a committee—to move forward, we would have to start to deal with this issue as soon as we come back in September. If we do it as part of the Emerson report, it becomes convoluted, whereas if we just say we are going to focus on this issue and do whatever number of meetings are required to table a report, it shouldn't have to take a couple of years to do this. If we start in September.... I realize we have lots of other important issues, but this is a very important issue as well. If we were to have August 1, 2019—well, you and I both know how slow things are around here—it would drag on until 2019. Having the August 1, 2017 date there actually puts the feet of the committee to the fire to do the work that is required.
I would have preferred agriculture to deal with the issue, because we have a lot of items that we want to deal with, but because it deals with interswitching specifically, it is a transport issue, not an agricultural issue. That is exactly why we have it in front of us.
Mrs. Block, do you have some further comment?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Madam Chair, thank you for that explanation, because that was going to be my question. I understand that the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act was actually introduced by the Minister of Agriculture, so I was wondering why it was here. I am glad you have clarified that.
To Linda's point, because it says prior to August 1, 2017, to me that means it could happen in the fall. That means it could happen right before Christmas, or right after Christmas—
5:10 p.m.
An hon. member
—or in June.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
—as long as it is before August 1.
Is it implied, with the postponement for one year, which is written into the act, that this is why the date of August 1, 2017 has been chosen—because it keeps these measures in place for that additional year, until we have an opportunity to address them, either through the study of the Emerson report or another study?
