Transport Committee on June 16th, 2020

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you, Minister, Mr. Keenan and Mr. Pilgrim for being here today.

I have some questions about the zero-emission vehicle program. I have heard from my constituents in Brampton East, a riding often characterized as a bedroom community in the greater Toronto area, that many people and businesses have benefited from the zero-emission vehicle program. GHG emissions reductions in the transportation sector are critical for Canada's green future. Through our green infrastructure projects I know many new charging stations are coming online across the country, and I continue to advocate for more charging stations, making the decision to switch to zero-emission vehicles an easier one.

Minister, is the uptake close to what was anticipated in this program?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

In terms of people availing themselves of the incentive, which is $5,000 for a zero-emission vehicle and $2,500 for a hybrid vehicle—and this can be purchased or leased—the uptake has exceeded our expectations. We feel that the $300 million that was budgeted in 2019 will be exceeded before the end of this year. Originally we thought August, but things may have slowed down a bit. However, we're well over a year ahead of schedule.

I'm glad you brought up the question of charging stations because that is an equally important program. The charging network has to be available, and that program is also funded and managed by Natural Resources Canada. They are also funding a network to make sure we have the necessary charging stations to charge these vehicles that people are buying.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

Do you have any insight into whether the COVID crisis will have any impact on the adoption of new technologies in the zero-emission vehicle sector? I know you've briefly touched on that, but can you elaborate a little more?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

I would say no, not in the long run. I would say that COVID has slowed down certain things, but not everything. It might have even sped up certain things. For example, one bright area is air cargo. That's a booming sector now.

With respect to automated and connected vehicles, zero-emission vehicles and research on heavy-duty trucks and emissions, as with everything during this pandemic period there has been some slowing down, because people have to maintain physical distancing and certain businesses have been closed. In the long run, no, I don't anticipate that it will have any significant impact.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you for that. I have one last question for you.

To my understanding, light-duty vehicle emissions account for approximately 50% of Canada's transportation-related GHG emissions and 12% of the country's total emissions. What kind of impact does the ministry of transportation foresee the zero-emission vehicle program having on transportation emissions when compared to conventional vehicles? It's definitely a great program. I just want to make sure that we elaborate more on that, because a lot of my constituents have questions about this.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

I think you've said it very well. Transportation is responsible for 25% of our overall greenhouse gas emissions in this country, with all industries and sectors added in. Out of that 25%, half comes from light-duty vehicles—cars—so it is incredibly important for us to make that transition toward zero-emission vehicles, because, as you've pointed out, it's 50% of all transportation greenhouse gases, so that will have a very significant effect.

As you know, our government has pledged to be at net-zero emissions by 2050 [Technical difficulty—Editor] Paris targets for 2030. This is a way to do this in a dramatic fashion, and we're hoping that more and more people will turn towards that option.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you for your time, Minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Minister Garneau.

I'm going to over to Mr. Davidson.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Thank you, Minister, and good afternoon.

To build on that, do you know what the average income is of someone who is claiming the electric vehicle subsidy? Do you have any idea of what that would be?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

No, I do not, but I will say that some of the vehicles that are eligible are in the lower-price range as well as the mid-price range, and we have excluded the high-price range.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Okay. Thanks, Minister.

Building on the airline ticket line of questioning of my colleagues, should we have a failure of a major airline—or a small one, for that matter—is the Government of Canada willing to back those tickets sold to Canadians?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

I will say, since you brought up the question of failure, that it is one option that I'm hoping we can avoid. At the end of this pandemic, even though our airlines will have taken a beating, we'd like as many as possible of them to be able to resume so that we will live to fly again and have the choices that we currently have. I'm hoping that we will not get to that point.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Thanks, Minister, and I'm hoping not either. That's why the government programs that we try tp put in place are important. I'm wondering if you could tell us how many airlines have taken up the new LEEFF program, especially our major airlines.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

To this point, I'm not aware of any of them having made that final decision. Some of them may be looking at it.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Why do you think that is? Why have they not taken that up quickly?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

I would say that you would have to ask them that question. I don't want to speculate.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Okay.

Minister, would I be more or less likely to acquire COVID-19 at Pearson airport or Union Station, in your opinion?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

In my opinion, the whole process of flying, not just being in the airport and going through security and going to the gate, and what have you, but that whole process all the way until you are back out of the airport at your destination, is a higher-risk environment that the—

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Minister, you're saying that you're more likely to get COVID-19 at Pearson than at Union Station, so the flying public should be much more concerned about that. Is that what you're saying?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

You brought up the example of Union Station. That is also a place where there is a lot of GO Transit, so we're getting into provincial jurisdictions here. That's a more complicated picture than just a dedicated—

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Minister, I'm proud to say our air carriers fly the newest aviation equipment. As you know, a 737 transfers fresh air every two minutes.

A number of my constituents who work for airlines feel airlines are almost being punished. You have to get on an airplane with a mask to fly from Toronto to Ottawa, but you can get on a VIA Rail train and not wear a mask. Then they're told that it's more dangerous to get on an airplane than on a train.

I'm trying to encourage the general public, and I'm sure you are, to think about getting back in an airplane and flying. Let's instill that. We shouldn't be scaring people by saying there's a much higher risk and, therefore, you have to wear a mask on an airplane, when the general public should know that there's a fresh air transfer every two minutes.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

There's a risk everywhere, in all modes of transportation, when you cannot maintain physical distancing. Before we put in place temperature measurements and compulsory face coverings on board aircraft, we were approached by CUPE, which represents all the flight attendants, and by the flight crews as well, and they asked us to put in place measures to protect them as well as the passengers.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Thank you.

I know in your mandate letter you are required to work closely with VIA Rail, so this maybe a good news question. As you know Canada Day is coming up. I know everyone at this committee table is so excited about that.

Right now vets receive a 25% discount on VIA Rail, but as an extra thank you to our veterans, I wonder, has your government considered whether we could possibly make travel free for them on VIA Rail?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

It's an interesting proposal. Unfortunately, I can't make that decision because VIA Rail is a Crown agency. They would have to decide that, and they occasionally have these special measures, at least on a temporary basis. They've done it with students, to get—

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Would you support that, Minister?