Transport Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Berthold, you were here when we gave direction to the analyst to prepare the final report with the recommendations. If you hadn't received those reports, why did you not move those motions then? Now we're in the final days of starting to go through recommendations and a report, and now to have to ask for this information at this point....

You can move your motion. Whether you get that information in time to make some different recommendations on the NPA report, this will be your choice, but if I could be so bold to suggest, you should have moved your motions two weeks ago when we knew the analysts were busy putting the report together.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, I am always delighted to put forward motions, but it can take time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I know.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

We are discussing committee business, so we can settle the matter quite quickly. If the committee does not wish to request the information, that settles that, but there are at least one or two pieces of information I would like to have.

I am particularly interested in one motion. Notice was given, but I can't remember when. It will help the committee members if I read it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Wait until we see if we can find it.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Here it is.

It's from October 27 and reads as follows:

That the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Committees ask the Minister of Transport how many notices/requests have been received pursuant to the Navigation Protection Act since January 2016 and that he provide Committee members with a copy of them.

The motion calls on the minister, who indicated that he had requested opinions and done some research on his end, to send the committee copies of those opinions and requests so that we know what he actually received.

I am moving the motion right now. I don't have anything else to add. We can deal with this very quickly. All I want is copies of those documents.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Does Mr. Aubin have a copy of this as well? Does everybody have a copy of this?

You gave us notice of motion Thursday, October 27. We are now into the end of February. We would have been happy to support the requests, I think, or certainly I would have, but now that the analysts have a report ready to come forward with their recommendations....

We have before us a notice of motion duly tabled by Mr. Berthold.

Is there any discussion?

Mr. Fraser.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Just a point of clarification, Mr. Berthold. You mentioned during your remarks a moment ago that it had to do with the existence of legal opinions and disclosure of legal opinions.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Not legal, just opinion.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Sorry, I wasn't sure I was looking at the right motion.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

You remember the minister said that the official asked for some advice and opinions instead of our committee. I want to know if it is possible for a committee to have it, just to be advised that someone who didn't come here in committee has something to say about that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

The motion reads:

That the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities ask the Minister of Transport how many notices/requests have been received pursuant to the Navigation Protection Act since January 2016 and that he provide committee members with a copy of them.

We'll have to see. f they can accommodate this prior to us dealing with the navigable waters act, which I know everybody is anxious to deal with and move off of our plate,

Is there any further discussion on this motion?

(Motion negatived)

I'm sure everybody would have been happy to have done it last week.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Chair, I'd like to take two minutes to move another motion, which is also quite relevant.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Go ahead.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

It's from the same day, October 27. I was obviously quite busy that day. The motion reads as follows:

That, pursuant to the statement by the Minister of Transport to the Committee on October 4, 2016, that “We have received a lot of comments from many people who had something to say about the piece of legislation put into force in 2014,” the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities ask the Minister to provide all members of the Committee with a copy of these comments.

In light of the points raised by my colleague Ms. Block regarding the possibility that witnesses were paid to prepare a report for the department, this is a matter of ensuring full transparency. We would be able to determine whether some of the comments provided to the Department of Transport were not brought to the attention of the committee members.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I'm not aware of anyone being paid to.... Would you like to clarify that comment, Mr. Berthold?

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I am referring to the fact that the Department of Transport may have paid witnesses to provide comments, as many witnesses indicated in their letters. In any case, that isn't the issue I want to discuss now; nor is it the purpose of the motion.

All the motion says is this:

That, pursuant to the statement by the Minister of Transport to the Committee on October 4, 2016, that “We have received a lot of comments from many people who had something to say about the piece of legislation put into force in 2014,” the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities ask the Minister to provide all members of the Committee with a copy of these comments.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Is there any further discussion?

All those in favour?

I'm sorry, Mr. Aubin.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

I'll be quick, Madam Chair.

I just want to say that I support the motion, as I did the first, because it doesn't require any work on the minister's part. The motion is merely calling for a transfer of documents, and I don't think it will delay preparation of the report by the analysts. Will the information influence our discussions on the report? That remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it seems to me to be factual information, more about quantity than quality.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

All those in favour?

(Motion negatived)

It's one o'clock. I move adjournment.

Thank you all very much for your participation. Have a good week in your constituencies.