Evidence of meeting #20 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 north.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
We have 20 minutes left. We have a list of the items that were adopted previously. I'm going to ask the clerk to go through those and tell us what we've already included or what we might be including as part of the strategy that we're talking about here.
The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Andrew Bartholomew Chaplin
I will run down those motions that have been adopted by the committee and that the committee has not yet acted upon. I would describe them as being outstanding.
There's the committee's motion, as proposed by Ms. Block, that the committee invite officials from Transport Canada to appear in front of the committee to discuss Marine Atlantic. Another one from Ms. Block, adopted by the committee—these were back on February 22—is as follows:
That the Committee invite representatives from the Marine Safety Division of Transport Canada to appear in front of the Committee to discuss maritime traffic safety on Canada’s west coast.
Another one, again adopted on February 22, is:
That the committee invite Dwight Duncan to discuss his objectives in his role of chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority as part of the committee's formal study on infrastructure.
There was the large motion that rationalized a lot of the work proposed by Mr. Hardie on February 22, but this was adopted on March 9. It largely launched into the rail safety study, but the last clause of the motion was:
That the Committee dedicate at least three meetings to consider the Canada Transportation Act review before Thursday, June 23, 2016.
As of the last meeting it was agreed that the committee postpone two of those three meetings until the House returns in September.
There are other motions on notice, but they haven't been proposed. In accordance with the custom of keeping those things in confidence, I won't bring them up.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Ms. Block, on your motion, you have Marine Atlantic and the marine safety division. Inviting Dwight Duncan is an infrastructure issue that could be tied in to some of what we're talking about doing.
We have done one of the three meetings on the Emerson report. My understanding from Mr. Badawey is that the very first meetings would be on that report, so we would be fulfilling the commitment that we made with the very first two meetings in September, which would flow along with the direction that Mr. Badawey is suggesting. That would take care of most of these.
Ms. Duncan.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Yes, I didn't intend any of my motions to be secret. I presumed that they were shared with everybody the minute I submitted them.
One of them was on drones, and my understanding was that we were going to actually proceed with drones, and then suddenly we weren't proceeding with drones. I think it's something that is clearly of concern in every community and clearly a concern to the minister. I think it would be well worth proceeding with one or two meetings on that. I think it's really important to all our communities.
My other one was on the chapter on northern transport in the Emerson report, which is seen as the new economic frontier for Canada. There is great concern about the opening up of the Arctic, and I just think it was a discrete piece from Emerson that really merited review. The needs of the north have not really received any attention whatsoever, probably in the last decade, the needs of the north in infrastructure, frankly, and transport.
I still stand that those would be my preferences, frankly, to proceed with.
As we prepare to go forward, I think that Mr. Badawey's is a big one and I think it's going to take us time. Over the summer we're going to be preoccupied with barbeques and whatever. Try to dedicate your mind to who would be witnesses. I think it's going to be a challenge in some cases. Because of the decision on the rail safety review, I'm going to be much more strident in insisting that we have much better representation from across Canada than just some members getting their ridings showcased.
So if we're going to be looking at hubs, we'd better be fair. The north is not the north; the north is the Yukon, which has totally different needs from the Northwest Territories, and there are totally different transportation needs in Nunavut, and totally different needs in all the northern areas of the provinces. So there is actually a big issue that's raised, and may even come up in the Emerson report, about discriminating against the northern parts of all of our provinces, which have been calling for more attention to hubs as opposed to just in the south.
I would prefer that we have more discussions in all of this array because we can't study everything. I think it would be good over the summer for people to go away and read as much as they can, confer in their ridings or in their region, find out what the bigger issues are, and what would be some good case studies to showcase.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
That would be my suggestion because I think it's pretty hard to come up with lists of names of witnesses until we've really decided what we want to zone in on. Of course, we want to start with Mr. Emerson and maybe some Transport officials. But I noticed in Mr. Badawey's earlier list, just reviewing priorities for transport and infrastructure isn't just talking to federal officials, right? It's now very clear that the provinces, including municipalities, are going to be allowed to choose those, so we're going to have to be very careful in how we proceed in this and confer on how we're going to approach it.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Madam Chair, I just want to follow up on the observations you made in regard to the motions I had brought forward. I was reminded by my assistant that Marine Atlantic were here during the estimates, so I think we've heard what we needed to from them.
Also, if we look at the gateways, the marine safety piece will be captured by that. As well, as you pointed out, Dwight Duncan and the bridge can fall under infrastructure.
Also in response to what Ms. Duncan has said, I think we could easily start with other panel members from the Emerson secretariat to kick this study off. We could bring in the deputy ministers as we had planned. They could probably provide us with a sense of what the ministry's priorities are or how their work is shaping up. I would have to say that I think the Canada Transportation Act review, the Emerson report, should be a priority for this committee. Given that it took 18 months for this report to come to us, I think we need to give it a strong look and make it a priority.
On the issue of the drones, if the minister has signalled that he is going to be bringing forward regulations, that might supersede some of what we're doing. If that happens, we would be looking at that issue anyway without having to slot it in somewhere.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
It is my understanding that regulations on the drones are being worked on and will be sent here. We have Bill S-2 in the Senate, which is going to be sent here. We have Bill C-30, which will pass shortly and is coming back to us. The extension there was for one year, on the presumption that we were going to be doing some work to come up with a long-term strategy.
We have a lot on our plate, but I think the Emerson report—and what Mr. Badawey is suggesting about doing a comprehensive study—has to get started. We will have to stop and start it, but it is not something that is going to be done in three months. It is going to take maybe the next six months, nine months, or a year, in order for us to do the best we can.
I think we can do a variety of things at the same time. I think we are a pretty smart bunch around this table and we can be working on this and then stop. If we have to shift to Bill C-30 or drones, we can also do that as we go forward.
Mrs. Block, go ahead.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
The Emerson report has everything. We can put drones in there, too.
Liberal
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Chair, may I suggest that it would be a good idea in the fall...? You will remember my reluctance about the deadline put in that motion about Bill C-30.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
We are saying that a report will be done by August next year. Well, that is absurd, because the thing expires. I think it is really incumbent upon us to put a deadline for a study of that, so we can provide that to the government so that they can move forward.
I am thinking that maybe we had better get that out of the way first, so it could be handed over to the government and they can do whatever they need to do for the longer-term solution. If we delay that, we are not really going to be able to contribute to that decision, because there will be pressure on the minister to resolve that well before August of next year.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Right. As we are mapping out our strategy, we have to have timing and have those deadlines in mind as we move forward. I think it will be part of the work we undertake.
I am looking at the clock. Do we have consensus to move forward on doing the comprehensive study, encapsulating all the other thoughts that were mentioned here? Is everybody comfortable to start going in that direction? The clerk could have meetings set up when we come back at our first meeting in September so that we don't have to waste meetings getting ready for meetings.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
I think it might be incumbent upon you or your office to look at the possibility of travel within that process. That may arise, and I know from comments we have received in the past that these funds are limited. We may want to have a placeholder somewhere, just in case. I can see you smiling, Madam Chair.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Get in line. Is that right? I just bring it up because of what I have heard in the last couple of days about the limited funds that are available. We don't want to be caught with no funds, if in fact we have to do some travel.
Madam Chair, I will leave that to you.
