Transport Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2017

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

I gather that probably the key recommendation that could come out of this exercise is to really just simply raise the profile of this issue across the country. Municipalities, with the gas tax funding, can basically choose what they use that money for, so it becomes a matter of prioritization. The prioritization will certainly flow from the public's reaction to the nature of the problem in their community, one would think.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

I think we're mandated to protect the public and to make the public aware. You certainly need to tell them that there's a problem they may not be aware of. They didn't know about in Surrey, in all these schools. One of the teachers' rooms or staff rooms had six times the lead content.

I could go back in history to the Franklin expedition and what seems to be an exceedances of lead in their drinking water, not through the tin cans that they were using, but through the desalinating system for the steam boiler that was on board that ship. It all went through lead pipes, and the chef used that same water to cook all their meals in. They wandered around the Arctic half-crazed with huge amounts of lead in their systems.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much, Mr. Bratina.

Mr. Aubin.

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

I just have a question for you before you adjourn the meeting. My I ask it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes, please.

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

In your opening remarks, you mentioned that our second hour was going to be held in camera, and I was wondering why. We are not debating a specific report; there is nothing sensitive. In any case, two weeks ago we held our conversations in public and to my knowledge this did not create any major incidents. In addition, this morning since we have guests who are ENAP students it would be interesting for them if we allowed them to be present also for these debates among political parties. In that way, they could see that conciliation is possible.

And so I propose that the second hour be held in public, if possible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much, Monsieur Aubin. In order to do that, I need a motion to not go into private session and to stay in public session for the upcoming hour of committee business. Are you prepared to move that motion?

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

I will give that to you right now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Rayes.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

I simply want to say...

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

It's not debatable.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

In fact, I am not against what he said, but I simply want to add that the students and the professor have to leave us. I don't know if the member made that request to be nice to them, but they are going to the parliamentary restaurant and have another meeting afterwards. I am not impugning the intention behind the request. I just wanted you to know why they would be leaving.

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

No, but they could follow us through the recording.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Yes. This does not detract from the importance of the motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Okay.

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

My motion is very simple, Madam Chair; I move that the work of the committee be discussed in public.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Okay.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Professor Trudel, thank you very much for coming. I had acknowledged you at the beginning, and then you were acknowledged again by Mr. Rayes and Mr. Iacono. Clearly, they were very pleased to see you here with your students. Good luck. I think you've heard a very important issue. It's just one sample of what we deal with at this committee.

Have a good day.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

The meeting has been reconvened.

The first item for us to discuss with the committee is Mr. Bratina's motion and what the thoughts of the committee are concerning our next direction with it. I think he has flagged an important issue that especially our former mayors at the table and the rest of us are interested in. The question becomes just what we can do, given that we have a heavy agenda ahead of us.

If we were to go into an in-depth study, we could be doing this for a year, but I'm not sure that's what Mr. Bratina is asking for. I think he's asking for some attention specifically to be paid to this issue, to raise, as Mr. Rayes and Mr. Fraser said, the awareness of the issue—it seems that many people know it's an issue—and then to get the municipalities to figure out, together with the federal government possibly, how to deal with the subject.

Who would like to speak to this issue first?

Mr. Fraser.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

I think the approach is that everybody recognizes this is very important, but that there are many things the federal government can't control. I think it's prudent for us to do something on this. I don't think an exhaustive study that covers all the ins and outs of the public health concerns and every municipal issue is really the right vehicle for us to get into. I'd suggest having maybe a couple of meetings to prop this up and then making a few recommendations as to the direction the federal government might want to take.

I think, then, that a shorter study that puts us on the radar and gets some momentum going might be appropriate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Hardie is next, and then Ms. Block.

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

I would agree with Mr. Fraser's analysis. As this issue will undoubtedly get more profile, particularly with the CBC's examination of Flint, which Mr. Bratina says is coming up, we have an opportunity to basically show some leadership, to go to the people who are most in the position to act on this and give them an opportunity to tell everybody what they intend to do, in the interests of public confidence in the process more than anything.

I support having a couple of meetings, calling in the FCM or maybe one or two municipalities that have had some experience dealing with this—Hamilton is certainly notable—and let that stand as the flag that the country has to pay attention to going forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Ms. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Madam Chair, I continue to remain unconvinced that this is the right table at which to have an in-depth study on Mr. Bratina's motion, particularly in light of the fact that, as a natural resource, water and the use and management of that resource fall under the jurisdiction of the provinces and the municipalities when it comes to infrastructure.

I think Mr. Hardie rightly pointed out that municipalities set their priorities. They have the gas tax and the latitude to use it towards whatever infrastructure needs they feel are the most important.

Finally, if we're talking about the health risks that this is posing to the population, and that was certainly quite an important part of Mr. Bratina's position on this issue, I think a recommendation that the Standing Committee on Health take a look at this subject and perhaps champion the issue from that perspective would be appropriate.

I'm not convinced that we as federal legislators have the authority to direct municipalities in relation to where they should or shouldn't turn their attention concerning infrastructure projects.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Is there some further comment?

Mr. Berthold.