Evidence of meeting #23 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Helena Jaczek Liberal Markham—Stouffville, ON
Chair, I will be splitting my time with MP Zuberi. Mr. Bachrach didn't take me up on the offer of time.
Minister, let's turn to the main estimates.
We do see there's an 8% increase, and you've alluded to some of the main drivers. The area I'm particularly interested in is the whole incentives for zero-emission vehicles program. Obviously, as part of a government that knows that climate change is real, I feel that this is particularly important. I know it's very important for my constituents as well.
Could you give us a few more details about the incentives for zero-emission vehicles program? In particular, how much does each ZEV on the road contribute to reducing greenhouse gases in terms of emissions per year, and how many businesses and Canadians have actually benefited from the incentive program?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for that question. This is an important part of my mandate.
Look, if we are serious about climate change—and we are serious, because we believe that climate change is real, and it is a crisis that needs to be dealt with. The transportation sector is the second-largest source of emissions into our climate. If we are serious about climate change, we need to reduce emissions that come out of the transportation sector. That's why the program for zero-emission vehicles, to create an incentive for consumers, is a fantastic program that supports so many Canadians, businesses and the auto sector as well.
The idea behind it is to provide incentives to consumers and businesses to help them move up their decision to purchase a zero-emission vehicle, which they might otherwise be hesitant to do. This will increase the number of zero-emission vehicles on the road and accelerate their adoption. This will stimulate the auto sector by increasing the demand for those zero-emission vehicles and, equally important, it will reduce and remove emissions.
By the way, each ZEV, or zero-emission vehicle, prevents four metric tons of emissions per year. To answer the member's other question, 79,000 Canadians and Canadian businesses have benefited from this incentive.
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Minister, thank you for being with us today. Thank you, as well, for the work you do.
As a member from the Montreal area and as a Quebecker, I'd like to ask you about the REM, also known as the Réseau express métropolitain, and about the station that's being built at the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.
In addition to that, could you comment on what's happening with the proposed high-frequency VIA Rail train along the Montreal-Toronto corridor?
3:50 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his work and his question.
Let me first state the obvious. The REM project is incredibly important. It enhances public transit in the Montreal region, and it is in sync with our objectives of increasing the utility of public transit and reducing greenhouse gases.
The Department of Transport and I are involved in discussions with the Montreal airport, the Government of Quebec and the Canada Infrastructure Bank on reaching a joint solution to support this station that will connect REM to the airport. It's very important. We're working. We're doing our part and we're active in reaching a solution regarding this station.
As for the question about high-frequency rail, this is something that the Prime Minister included in my mandate letter. Our government feels strongly about this. That's why our government invested in a joint office between VIA Rail, Transport Canada and the Infrastructure Bank to study this initiative thoroughly and to do the feasibility analysis. We are certainly following up on that work, and I look forward to the next step.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Helena Jaczek Liberal Markham—Stouffville, ON
Thank you so very much again, Minister, for having come here twice since you were first made minister.
In terms of the zero-emission vehicles, I think there's great potential to actually improve the supply. You talked about the supply and demand issue.
To date, some of the real growth in vehicle purchases, at least in my neighbourhood, is in light utility vehicles. I'm certainly hoping to see zero-emission vehicles in that category.
Are you aware of movement in that direction at all in terms of progress in this area?
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, my colleague is right. Canadians love their utility vehicles.
In my conversations with, first, my colleague Minister Champagne, the Minister of Industry and then with many stakeholders and with automakers, there is a recognition that the supply of zero-emission vehicles needs to be increased.
I have heard a commitment by the auto sector, by the automakers, to increase supply in those categories. We look forward to working with them on finding ways to enhance and increase the adoption of these vehicles among consumers and businesses when they come out.
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Vance Badawey
Thank you, Ms. Jaczek.
Thank you, Mr. Zuberi.
We're now going to move to Mr. Barsalou-Duval of the Bloc.
Mr. Barsalou-Duval, the floor is yours.
March 25th, 2021 / 3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, Minister.
Normally when ministers appear before the committee, I'm all smiles. I tell them how glad I am to have them here and that they should come back more often.
Although it is true we would love to have you more often, unfortunately, I cannot say I'm very glad to see you. Let's just say, this time around, my enthusiasm has waned some. Customers have been waiting to have their plane tickets refunded for a year now.
Do you think that's acceptable?
3:55 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, I'm not sure if the translation missed something, but let me thank my colleague for his question and for being happy to see me.
The department, my office and I have been working tirelessly to address the priorities of Canadians and the priorities of Quebeckers. We know we are going through a pandemic right now—
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
What I am asking you, Minister, is whether you think it's acceptable for customers not to be refunded when they purchased tickets for services that were not rendered. The situation has gone on for a year now.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, if my colleague is asking about support for the aviation sector, let me take this opportunity to talk about the support that the aviation sector has received so far from our government.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
That wasn't what I asked the minister, Mr. Chair.
For the third time, my question to the minister is whether he thinks it is acceptable that, a year later, customers still have not been refunded for plane tickets they purchased.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, thank you. Finally, my colleague is able to highlight exactly the question.
By the way, my colleague would be interested in knowing that earlier this week, I met with the Quebec Minister of Justice just to speak about the refund for air passengers, because he, I and others agree that we need to find a way to refund passengers who had to cancel trips because of the pandemic. We are working with the airlines as we speak. I can assure you that the issue of refunds is an integral subject of this negotiation.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
You are confirming, then, Minister, that, a year into the pandemic, you still have not found a solution to the problem of airlines not refunding passengers for their plane tickets.
A committee member pointed out earlier that this was your second appearance before the committee. I would add that this is also the second time you've come here empty-handed. Indeed, workers in the aviation sector have been asking the government for help for a year now.
For the past year, whenever we have spoken to you or your predecessor, we got the impression that support was just around the corner, on the verge of being provided. Every time, though, we have been disappointed.
Can you assure us that, the next time we see you, or even in the next few days, our disappointment in your government will end?
4 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, let me also say that I understand why my colleague is pushing for this. It is important for many Canadians not only in Quebec, but across the country and in my riding. This is an important issue, and I appreciate why my colleague is pushing for it. I wish I could give him a specific date on when and if we're going to have an answer to his question.
However, it's a priority for me and I am working with my colleague, the Minister of Finance, the Deputy Prime Minister, on making sure that we reach an agreement as quickly as possible.
4 p.m.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Minister, an Air Canada employee by the name of Sean Fitzgibbon who worked for the airline for 32 years lost his job because he was blind. However, he had been working for Air Canada for 10 years while he was blind. He certainly wasn't next in line to lose his job given his place on the seniority list, so it seems pretty clear that he was fired because he was blind. The union spoke out about it.
I am wondering whether you plan to call Air Canada and say how ridiculous it is to fire people for having a disability even though they can do their job.
What do you think of that sort of thing?
4 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Chair, again, I thank my colleague for the question.
I'm very much aware of the challenges and difficulties that many workers in the aviation sector have been facing over the last few months. There have been a significant number of layoffs that break my heart, and it is the driver behind the—
