Transport Committee on May 30th, 2017

[The Chair (Hon. Judy A. Sgro (Humber River—Black Creek, Lib.)), Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I am calling to order meeting number 61 of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities of the 42nd Parliament.

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(5), we will consider supplementary estimates (A), 2017-18: vote 1a under Canadian Air Transport Security Authority; votes 1a, 5a, and 20a under Department of Transport; vote 1a under Marine Atlantic Inc.; and vote 1a under VIA Rail Canada Inc., referred to the committee on Thursday, May 11.

On behalf of the Department of Transport, we have before us Mr. André Lapointe, assistant deputy minister for corporate services and chief financial officer, along with Mrs. Natasha Rascanin, assistant deputy minister for programs.

From the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, we have Mr. Neil Parry, acting president and chief executive officer, along with Ms. Andie Andreou, vice-president and chief financial officer.

From VIA Rail Canada Inc., we have Mr. Jacques Fauteux, director of government and community relations, and Ms. Danielle Boisvert, corporate controller, by teleconference from Montreal.

Finally, on behalf of Marine Atlantic Inc., we have Mr. Paul Griffin, president and chief executive officer.

Welcome to all of you on behalf of the committee.

I'll start the discussion by calling vote 1a under Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

Mr. Lapointe, it's over to you for five minutes.

[André Lapointe, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Services, Department of Transport]

Actually, I'm going to turn it over to my colleague, Mrs. Rascanin.

[Natasha Rascanin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport]

Thank you.

Thank you to the committee for the invitation to be here today.

We are very pleased to come here to address supplementary estimates (A) for 2017-18.

The Government of Canada recognizes that now, more than ever, we need a safe and secure transportation system for a healthy and competitive economy. Efficient, safe and secure transportation systems and environmental responsibility are important priorities for Transport Canada.

A strong economy and a clean environment go hand in hand. Marine transportation is fundamental to Canada's economic well-being. Our ports and marine corridors are increasingly active, sending Canadian products overseas and receiving goods from around the world.

In 2017-18, the supplementary estimates include $50.9 million to assist Transport Canada in delivering on the oceans protection plan. This funding is part of a broader, five-year, $1.5-billion whole-of-government strategy comprising over 50 initiatives that Transport Canada is implementing with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Natural Resources Canada.

The measures under the oceans protection plan are progressive, proactive, and urgently needed. The oceans protection plan represents the most significant investment ever made to protect Canada’s oceans and coastlines from the potential impacts of marine shipping. This national plan will ensure the health of our oceans for generations to come.

The oceans protection plan was built on four fundamental elements: one, building a world-leading marine safety system; two, preserving and restoring Canada's marine environment; three, strengthening indigenous partnerships; and four, investing in science for evidence-based decision-making.

In addition to improving marine safety and protecting marine ecosystems, the oceans protection plan sets the frame toward meeting the Government of Canada's commitments to improve marine safety and to work with the provinces, the territories, indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders to better co-manage Canada's three oceans.

The funding from the supplementary estimates that we are seeking the committee's approval of today will assist in advancing initiatives to respond to community issues related to marine traffic, develop training programs to increase the participation of indigenous community members and women in marine safety jobs, increase inspections in northern communities, develop a comprehensive strategy for vessels of concern, and undertake work to create a pilot baseline monitoring program to better understand the cumulative effects of shipping on coastal ecosystems.

We’ll contribute to the Government of Canada reconciliation agenda by actively working with and providing funding to indigenous and local communities. The goal is to encourage the effective participation of these communities and increase their capacity to engage and share their knowledge and expertise during the development and improvement of Canada’s marine transportation system.

The initiatives under the oceans protection plan demonstrate that Transport Canada is working to maintain a transportation system that is safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible. This ambitious plan will also help advance other federal priorities such as strengthening evidence-based decision-making, protecting the environment, and enhancing economic growth.

That concludes my remarks, Madam Chair. My colleagues from the portfolio, my colleague from Transport Canada, and I would be happy to answer questions from the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

Go ahead, Mr. Parry.

[Neil Parry, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

We are also pleased to answer any questions regarding supplementary estimates (A).

This funding will enable CATSA to continue to deliver effective and efficient screening of persons who access aircraft or restricted areas through screening points, the property in their possession or control, and the belongings or baggage given to an air carrier for transportation.

CATSA's mandate consists of four areas of aviation security. One is the pre-board screening of passengers. This is the screening of passengers and their belongings prior to their entry into a restricted area of the airport. The second is hold baggage screening, also known as checked baggage screening, which is the screening of passengers' baggage to prevent the boarding of prohibited items.

Our mandate also includes a non-passenger screening program. This is the screening of non-passengers or airport workers accessing restricted areas at the highest risk airports in Canada.

We are also responsible for the restricted area identity card program. This program uses iris and fingerprint biometric identifiers to allow non-passengers access into the restricted areas of the airport.

Supported by our screening contractors and the screening officer workforce, we expect to screen more than 63 million passengers and their belongings in this fiscal year, 2017-2018.

As noted, I am here with my colleague Andie Andreou, chief financial officer for CATSA.

With that, I'll leave it there. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

We have VIA Rail by teleconference.

[Jacques Fauteux, Director, Government and Community Relations, VIA Rail Canada Inc.]

Madam Chair, I'm Jacques Fauteux, the the director of government relations for VIA Rail.

VIA Rail doesn't have any specific statements to make other than to note that, with respect to the supplementaries (A), they provide stable operational capital and pension funding for us to keep serving more Canadians in a more fiscally responsible way.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Griffin, for Marine Atlantic, go ahead please.

[Paul Griffin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marine Atlantic Inc.]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the invitation. It's good to be back in front of the committee again.

Just to remind the committee, Marine Atlantic is responsible for, on behalf of the Government of Canada, providing a constitutionally mandated service between the island of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

We run a year-round service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, and North Sydney, Nova Scotia, along with a seasonal service between Argentia, Newfoundland, and North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Our mission is to provide a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible service. We run a fleet of four very large ice class vessels. We own three of those vessels, and we charter a fourth.

Each year we carry more than 300,000 passengers, close to 100,000 commercial units, trucks, and close to 100,000 passenger vehicles as well.

In terms of current service indicators, they are all very positive. Our on-time performance is over 90%. Our vessel reliability is running at about 99%. Most importantly, customer satisfaction is in the 75% range.

In budget 2017, the government announced funding of $445 million to support Marine Atlantic's operations over a three-year period. In 2017-2018 that funding will be utilized at $90 million for operations and $45 million for capital.

That amount of funding over the three-year period including 2017 and 2018 will allow us to meet our constitutional mandate and, most important, will allow us to continue to provide a level of service to our customers that is adequate and they feel is necessary.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you all very much.

I appreciate the fact that you were quite succinct with your comments, which allows for additional questioning by members.

Mrs. Block, you have six minutes, please.

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

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I'd like to welcome all of you here to committee. I know there are a broad range of issues embedded within our supplementary estimates.

I have a number of questions that I'd like to ask, but I'm going to turn my time over to my colleague Alain Rayes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Rayes, go ahead.

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

Thank you, Ms. Block.

I want to thank the witnesses for being here.

I want to take another look at an issue that's very important to me. I know the witnesses spent a lot of time preparing their appearance before us. However, I need to follow up on a situation that occurred here the week before the break. The issue is as important as the one we're discussing today. I'm talking about the Canada Infrastructure Bank. The issue, which we studied here for only an hour and a half, involves $35 billion in public funds. That's taxpayers' money.

Madam Chair, I'm following up on the issue because, when I talked about it, you weren't here, unfortunately. I think you were directly linked to my dissatisfaction regarding this issue. I can take the opportunity to summarize the situation.

On Thursday, May 4, you received, on our behalf, a letter from the Standing Committee on Finance. The letter indicated the following:

The Standing Committee on Finance is currently studying the subject matter of Bill C-44, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures. Please find attached a series of motions adopted by the Standing Committee on Finance on Wednesday, May 3 ...

I'll skim over this part of the letter. It went on to say the following:

The motions that were adopted also invite your Committee, if it deems appropriate, to provide us with recommendations ...

Madam Chair, I want to specify that I'm currently talking about the motion I tabled. My colleagues across the way closed the debate on this motion, and I want to resume it. As the clerk explained, the second part of the motion was admissible.

Do people still need a copy of the letter?

If not, may I continue, Madam Clerk?

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

You may continue.

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

I want us to resume debating this motion and to have the opportunity to discuss the very important issue of the Infrastructure Bank.

Madam Chair, you were addressed by the chair of the Standing Committee on Finance, who invited the committee to provide recommendations and amendments, as appropriate. The letter specified the following:

Accordingly, the Parliamentary Counsel ... Nathalie Caron ... as well as the Legislative Clerk, Justin Vaive ... are available to advise your Committee, respectively, on the drafting of amendments and their admissibility.

I think the Standing Committee on Finance's message was quite clear.

The letter also said the following:

Therefore, I invite you to send me the Committee's recommendations, including any suggested amendments, by letter, in both official languages, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 19, 2017.

It was the Friday before the break week, when we returned to our respective constituencies. I'll skip this part.

To my surprise, upon my return, I learned that you wrote a letter to the chair of the Standing Committee on Finance on our behalf. I was personally insulted, since I never felt that I was consulted regarding the matter.

I'll read the letter you sent.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mr. Rayes, can I interrupt you for a second? I just want to make sure that we are following everything appropriately.

If you want to resume the debate, we must have a vote on that. It's neither debatable nor amendable. I would have to call for a vote for us to move to another order of business, rather than the business that's in front of us.

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

I rise on a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Mrs. Block, go ahead.

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

Madam Chair, he moved his motion again because it was adjourned in the last meeting. Does that have to be agreed upon, if he moved his motion?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Yes.

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

Therefore, we don't need to vote to resume the debate. We can simply resume it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

It's neither debatable nor amendable that we move to an order of business other than what we have in front of us. If you want to go back and resume the debate from the previous meeting, then we have to have a vote to do that. This is the information I am getting from the clerk.

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

Can we—

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

If you want to move that we resort to the previous business we were dealing with and resume debate on it, then it's essentially a dilatory motion that the committee proceed to another order of business, which is non-debatable and non-amendable.

Is that what you are moving, Mr. Rayes, that we resume the debate we were having last Thursday?

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

These are technical details. I don't know whether the clerk can answer me.

I tabled a motion, and my goal is for us to debate the motion. The government members ended the discussion before we reached an agreement. They took all the necessary steps to make that happen. My motion concerns an extremely important matter. Someone spoke on our behalf. I want to know my options so that I can continue the process in order to have my motion passed. I consider that this privilege was taken away from me when the debate was closed. According to my information, I think I have the power to continue the process in order to have my motion passed.

I don't know what I must do exactly. The process seems vague. I'm asking the clerk to clarify whether I can move forward with my motion, either as part of a debate or some other way. I have no idea.