Transport Committee on April 22nd, 2021

[Kelly Gillis]

Thank you for the question.

Infrastructure is essential to ensure good quality of life. Infrastructure needs are changing and becoming more complex, especially with the climate considerations, which we have already discussed. Investments must be made differently in buildings that are built differently to respond to climate change. We need to consider how investments are made and how projects are built to ensure that we put up strong buildings that will be around for many years.

In the big cities, where many people live, we have congestion issues. We need to make investments to support public transit. We need to make sure that Canadians have the infrastructure they need on a daily basis. I'm thinking of wastewater treatment and drinking water. These things are essential to everyday life.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Ms. Gillis and Mr. Iacono.

Members, it is 5:19. we have the bells going right now. First off, I'll need unanimous consent to proceed. Do I have unanimous consent?

I see that we're good. Okay. Thank you.

I am going to be very tight on time here. I'm going to try to squeeze in the Bloc and the NDP for their last segments of two and a half minutes, and then I'm going to go into the votes for the ways and means. Hopefully, they'll only take one vote, and then we can meet the time that we have allowed and is available for us or remaining.

With that, Mr. Barsalou-Duval, you have two and a half minutes.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

I have no comment, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Barsalou-Duval.

Mr. Bachrach, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm sorry; I thought we were only having the single round. It sounded like our time was going to be cut tight there. I'm caught a little off guard. Perhaps—

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

If you want, Mr. Bachrach, why don't we do it this way? Why don't we go to the votes first and see if we can get the votes out of the way? If we have time remaining, then I'll come back to you and Mr. Barsalou-Duval. Does that sound fair?

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

It sounds fair, yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Okay. Great. Thank you.

I will now go to the vote on the main estimates. I'm hoping that we could just do this in one vote, members. I guess you can let me know that after I finish reading them:

CANADIAN AIR TRANSPORT SECURITY AUTHORITY

Vote 1—Payments to the Authority for operating and capital expenditures..........$567,828,793

(Vote 1 agreed to)

CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION AGENCY

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$35,786,127

(Vote 1 agreed to)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$741,693,237

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$122,406,985

Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$960,185,842

(Votes 1, 5 and 10 agreed to)

MARINE ATLANTIC INC.

Vote 1—Payments to the corporation..........$149,875,667

(Vote 1 agreed to)

OFFICE OF INFRASTRUCTURE OF CANADA

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$156,413,071

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$66,232,666

Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$4,338,537,607

(Votes 1, 5 and 10 agreed to)

THE FEDERAL BRIDGE CORPORATION LIMITED

Vote 1—Payments to the Corporation..........$18,497,000

(Vote 1 agreed to)

THE JACQUES-CARTIER AND CHAMPLAIN BRIDGES INC.

Vote 1—Payments to the corporation..........$325,009,620

(Vote 1 agreed to)

VIA RAIL CANADA INC.

Vote 1—Payments to the Corporation..........$769,779,151

(Vote 1 agreed to)

WINDSOR-DETROIT BRIDGE AUTHORITY

Vote 1—Payments to the Authority..........$971,574,541

(Vote 1 agreed to)

Finally, shall I report the same to the House? Members, what is your pleasure? Is one motion fine?

I'm seeing people nod their heads.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

One motion is fine, Chair. Pardon me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you.

Ms. Kusie, do you want to move that?

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Do you mean move that one motion is fine?

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

No, move all of them.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

No, I will not move all of them, thank you. I move that one motion is fine.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Okay, that's fine.

Do I have a mover for all of them?

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

I'll move that, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Mr. Fillmore.

Are there questions or comments on the motion as outlined?

Mr. Clerk, call the vote, please.

(Motion agreed to)

Thank you, Mr. Clerk, and thank you, members. We have that out of the way now.

Mr. Barsalou-Duval, did you want the floor for two and a half minutes? If not, I'm going to go to Mr. Bachrach.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As Mr. Bachrach pointed out, I was under the impression that we would have no more rounds. That's why I wasn't ready to ask questions earlier. However, I have one for Ms. Gillis, if she is still with us.

Regarding the last question I asked, about the federal gas tax fund, she said that it would not be possible to meet my request, that is, the request from Quebec municipalities. They want the program adjusted to allow projects that were previously eligible to be eligible again, since the agreement will end in 2024. In fact, the agreement does not have to be reopened to respond to their request, because it's simply a matter of interpretation. The way of interpreting the criteria has changed, but not the criteria themselves.

So I will try again. Is there any possibility that the government will consider this request, which has been made repeatedly by all Quebec municipalities?

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Go ahead, Ms. Gillis.

[Kelly Gillis]

Thank you for the question.

The federal government has not changed the details and, more importantly, the interpretation of the agreement. If you have specific issues that need to be clarified, we can always discuss them with our colleagues in the Quebec departments. Quebec has its own program and we have ours. I don't know if the Quebec program has changed, but we're following our program. The agreement started in 2004 and will end in 2024.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

According to the information I have, things are stalled on the federal side. It is possible that in Quebec they are saying the problem is in Ottawa, and in Ottawa they are saying it is in Quebec. However, since people in the municipalities are telling me that the problem is in Ottawa, I assume they are not mistaken. They say that neither the program nor the criteria have changed, but the way the criteria are applied has changed. They used to be able to use the funds for fire halls, city halls and community centres, but not anymore. This is a serious issue, especially for smaller municipalities. I feel it's important that you look into the issue.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Go ahead, Ms. Gillis.

[Kelly Gillis]

Thank you for your comment.

We can certainly look into that and make sure we communicate clearly. We haven't changed our agreement or the way we apply it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Vance Badawey]

Thank you, Ms. Gillis, and thank you, Mr. Barslou-Duval.

We'll now move on to the NDP and the final speaker and the final questions. Mr. Bachrach, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Gillis, your department has a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 megatonnes through infrastructure investments. Could you provide an update on where your department is with regard to reaching that goal?

[Kelly Gillis]

We are 28% of the way through to reaching that particular goal. We still have significant funds remaining to be committed within our program—within the green stream and overall—to continue making progress.