Evidence of meeting #9 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 bnsf.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:50 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
Lengthening the meetings on Wednesdays will essentially add another meeting day if we lengthen them by an hour. Clause-by-clause, it's one clause, right? It's not going to take us a long time.
5:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Exactly. Terrific. Okay, that would be wonderful, just one clause.
Is there anything else? It's all done?
Sorry, Ms. Block.
April 18th, 2016 / 5:50 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
I have one other suggestion, Madam Chair. I'm wondering if we could discuss or entertain an idea of establishing an ad hoc subcommittee to discuss Bill C-30, and the opportunity that there may perhaps be to extend the four provisions in that act that are due to sunset during the summer. The minister has indicated that he's going to be taking the summer, and possibly into the fall, to review the Emerson report. We know that this other legislation is going to sunset. Many stakeholders have indicated that it would be really good to have those provisions extended, and then, depending on what happens with the review of the Emerson report, you could turn around and do something different. But I asked the minister a question about this in the House last week and he indicated that he was looking at it very seriously. So I think that might give us an opportunity to provide some input to the minister as he makes his decision.
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I just want to speak to the Emerson report.
I would like to suggest that we have a steering committee meeting, because I think we need a strategy on the report because it's so huge. I'm not sure how many here are aware of what's been going on in the agriculture committee, but there have been some proposals for a separate subcommittee of us with agriculture to look at the agriculture parts of that report. The problem is only I and my colleague are the representatives, and that means we're doing quadruple duty. Another committee just probably wouldn't work, but I think we should be thinking about that. We should be taking a look at that report and saying, okay, we're not going to be able to talk about the whole report and bring in witnesses on every aspect, so I would suggest that maybe we should have a steering committee meeting just to talk about our strategy and how we're going to grapple with the Emerson report.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
If we are able to keep to our very tight schedule here, and get both of our issues dealt with, we will have several days that we could decide what....
We need to do our planning for September. We have the drones. We have a few things that we've approved that we'd like to do. I think we'll have either the steering committee or the whole committee talk about where we want to go in September so that when we come back we're fully prepared and the staff has everything that we all need to move forward, whether it's the Emerson report or the issue of drones or something else that we want to come up with.
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
On the issue of drones, I wasn't aware that there actually is a regulatory notice out there right now for comments on the proposed drone regulations. I'd like to suggest that it's a little premature for our committee to be grappling with that. I think it makes more sense to find out who responded to those proposed regulations, to give us an idea of who witnesses might be.
I think we need to also think about, maybe at the steering committee, our role in the drones versus the review the department is undertaking. We may just end up duplicating. I think it would be interesting, but we have so many important things to do, I'm not so sure at this point we can do things that are just interesting.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Right: we don't have enough time.
Ms. Block, Mr. Badawey, and Mr. Hardie.
5:55 p.m.
Conservative
Kelly Block Conservative Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK
I guess my hope would be that with the timing that the minister has indicated with the Emerson report—I guess my colleagues across the way would have the opportunity to find this out—his hope is that this committee, reviewing Emerson and perhaps bringing witnesses in, will aid him in the consulting that he's doing. I think perhaps being able to do that before the end of this session would be more helpful to him than the time he has indicated he's going to be wrapping it up, which is the fall. We probably won't be back until mid- to late September. I just think that if it at all is part of his review to also have this committee doing some sort of a study, then it probably should happen before the end of June.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
We'll do some communication and see what we can find out as to where we go.
We'll go back to your Bill C-30 issue, Mr. Badawey.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
Vance Badawey Liberal Niagara Centre, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
May I suggest with Bill C-30 that you sit down with the chair of the agriculture committee and come back with a report to the committee with next steps?
Second, with respect to the Emerson report, I'm just dying to get into that report. I think we all are, after reading it. It's quite an exciting time for the country with a lot of the recommendations and/or discussion and dialogue that will happen with respect to next steps. I don't think it's all that realistic to think that we'll get into that before we rise in June. I think the fall time frame will be more realistic, and I think it allows us that. Nevertheless, I think it will take a lot of our time, as it very well should. It very well should because it's very important to get through it. I personally would like to see a national transportation strategy come out of that, and I think for the most part the minister is very aware of that.
To repeat myself, Madam Chair, I would suggest, if I may, that Bill C-30 be dealt with by your meeting with the chair of the agriculture committee and coming back with a report to the committee. Second, we can look at the Emerson report following all this, more than likely in the fall, and we can proceed then.
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Where in our schedule are we putting in infrastructure and transport from the budget?
6 p.m.
Liberal
6 p.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
6 p.m.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
I think we have a couple of time-sensitive things. On the drone issue, I get the sense that there is a sense of urgency, because the use, and misuse, of these things is creating some hazardous conditions in a variety of areas. Whether or not we weigh in right away or later, certainly I've heard that there's an expectation that this committee look at this.
The other time-sensitive issue we're dealing with, not so much with respect the Emerson report, although it's tied to it, is the issue of the interswitching on the prairies, which is due to be sunsetted in August. It's due to go away, and the people that I've spoken to, the grain farmers, the pulse folks, the chemical movers, and everybody else, all really like this. They like what the past government did as an interim measure and would like to see it more permanent, whereas Mr. Emerson would like to see it dispensed with immediately or entirely. Again, it is sort of tied to the Emerson report, but it may need to be something that we drill into very specifically.
6 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Is that agriculture or is that us? If they're looking at that too, we shouldn't duplicate.
6 p.m.
Liberal
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
The suggestion by Mr. Badawey is that I talk to the chair of the agriculture committee and see what we can put together, but it is an issue. Thank you for raising it. It is requiring some action so that this doesn't sunset, because it's too important.
6 p.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
When's the vote on the budget? Does anybody know, because that's going to supersede everything? I don't think we should be planning anything else.
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
So our tight plan here may change yet.
Have we covered everything off?
Mr. Clerk, is there anything you need in order to complete your responsibilities?