Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair, I will be sharing my time with my colleague, Ms. Raitt. I will ask a couple of questions and then turn it over to her.
I want to welcome you, Minister, and your departmental officials. We appreciate your joining us today. Since this is your first visit to our committee in your role as minister, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate you publicly on your appointment to this important portfolio.
Minister, one of the key files listed in your transition binder is the Ports Toronto's proposed Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport runway expansion. It's on page 171. The transition binder notes the airport is presently not certified under the “Aerodrome Standards and Recommended Practices”, TP 312, fifth edition, that were adopted in September 2015. Given the nature of the airport, adopting these standards is impossible.
My questions are these: What exemptions are you willing to allow Ports Toronto to have so they can meet these new regulatory standards? What information was withheld under access to information at the bottom of the page? Will the main runway need to be expanded to satisfy the new aerodrome standards and recommended practices your own department recommends?