Transport Committee on Feb. 17th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

I call the meeting to order.

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Welcome to meeting number 5 of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application. I would like to take this opportunity to remind all participants of this meeting that screenshots or taking photos of your screen is not permitted.

Given the ongoing pandemic situation and in light of the recommendations from public health authorities as well as the directive of the Board of Internal Economy on January 28, 2022, to remain healthy and safe, the following is recommended for all those attending the meeting in person: Anyone with symptoms should participate by Zoom, and not attend the meeting in person. Everyone must maintain two-metre physical distancing, whether seated or standing. Everyone must wear a non-medical mask when circulating in the room. It is recommended in the strongest possible terms that members wear their masks at all times, including when seated. Nonmedical masks, which provide better clarity over cloth masks, are available in the room.

Everyone present must maintain proper hand hygiene by using the hand sanitizer at the room entrance. Committee rooms are cleaned before and after each meeting. To maintain this, everyone is encouraged to clean surfaces such as the desk, chair and microphone with the provided disinfectant wipes when vacating or taking a seat.

As the chair, I'll be enforcing these measures for the duration of the meeting. I thank members in advance for their co-operation.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, January 31, 2022, the committee is meeting to study the mandate letter of the Minister of Transport.

Appearing before us today, honourable colleagues, we have the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, and Michael Keenan, deputy minister. From the Department of Transport, we have Arun Thangaraj, associate deputy minister; Aaron McCrorie, associate assistant deputy minister of safety and security; and Serge Bijimine, assistant deputy minister of policy.

Minister, I know you have a hard stop today at 4:30, so without further ado, I'd like to turn the microphone over to you for your opening remarks. Thank you.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm really grateful for the invitation to come back to this committee. I want to congratulate you on your election as chair, and to extend a warm welcome to the new members of this committee. I think there are several new members.

I look forward to working with you.

I would like to begin by noting that I am joining you today from the traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinabe peoples.

I'm pleased to be joined by officials, as you mentioned, Mr. Chair. I want to take a moment to thank Transport Canada's officials for their incredible hard work over the last two years, and particularly over the last several weeks because of the current situation we're in. I'm delighted they are here offering support and are ready to answer members' questions.

It is an honour to speak today about the priorities outlined in my recent mandate letter from the Prime Minister, but first let me address the action our government has taken this week.

The illegal blockades across our country were and are putting Canadian jobs at risk.

The barricades are jeopardizing our economy.

The Ambassador Bridge blockade affected around $400 million in trade each and every day. The Coutts blockade affected around $50 million in trade each and every day. The Emerson crossing blockage affected around $75 million in trade each day. A significant number of owners had to close their shops, and workers' shifts were cancelled.

Over the last few days I've heard from farmers, auto manufacturers, grocers, truckers and many small businesses—including, by the way, some Conservative MPs on behalf of their constituents—about the damage these illegal blockades have been causing.

This is not how we do things in Canada. People have a right to protest, and our government will always defend that right. However, people don't have a right to break the law and hold Canada and Canadians hostage. Our government is acting to enforce the law.

Our message to the occupiers is clear: Go home.

Mr. Chair, we have always said that we will adjust our border measures based on public health recommendations, so I want to talk to you a bit about our travel measures.

This is why, on Tuesday, we announced, as of February 28, that the ban on international flights at all airports that would normally receive international flights will be lifted. This is great news for communities like Windsor, London, Fort McMurray, Moncton and many more.

By receiving international flights we will support local tourism, create good jobs and grow our economy.

Travellers will now have the option of using a COVID-19 rapid antigen test result or a molecular test result to meet the predeparture requirement.

On-arrival testing will be eased for fully vaccinated travellers. Those selected for random testing will no longer have to quarantine while waiting for results, and children under 12 years old travelling with fully vaccinated adults will continue to be exempt from quarantine.

As I said, we have always made our decisions based on science, and this announcement was a reflection of the progress we have made against the current omicron variant. Canada's border measures will remain flexible and adaptable.

Now I will discuss my mandate letter. I'm committed to delivering on all of the priorities, but in the interest of time I'll focus on the work being done in a few key areas.

First, on vaccinations, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to significantly affect the transportation sector here in Canada and around the world. My highest priority as transport minister is an efficient and safe transportation system, and for that to happen we need to do everything possible to put the pandemic behind us. We know that vaccination is our best tool to end this pandemic.

In response, Transport Canada has introduced a multi-layered approach, which includes mandatory vaccination for all travellers on interprovincial trains, commercial flights, cruise ships and other federally regulated vessels. We have also mandated COVID-19 vaccination for federally regulated transportation sector workers. I want to thank all of our workers in the transportation sector who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, delivered for Canadians, and rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated and keep our communities safe.

On supply chains, globally, they are under pressure on a number of fronts. This is not a uniquely Canadian challenge. It is a global one. It's a global health crisis. We know the supply chain is at top of mind for Canadians, and I can assure you that it is also at top of mind for our government.

All things considered, Canada has been relatively successful in keeping goods moving, but no system is perfect. Global supply and demand issues and labour shortages, compounded by recent extreme weather events, have affected us in Canada. That is why we are working to make our supply chain even stronger and to ensure that what Canadians need reaches their households as quickly as possible.

Just over two weeks ago, I hosted a national supply chain summit with ministers Bibeau, Ng, Champagne, Qualtrough and O'Regan. We met with industry, shippers and organizations that play a role in Canada's supply chain to address challenges, develop strategies and determine the next steps. Following that, I was pleased to announce that we will create a new supply chain task force to help provide additional advice to me and our government, as well as a new $50-million call for proposals under the national trade corridors fund.

The conversations we had at the summit were not the end. The work will continue and follow-up sessions are being organized.

We are also in the final stages of our port modernization review, which I am committed to completing in due course. It will help us position Canada's ports to respond to supply chain pressures and contribute to economic growth.

Moving on to the air sector, it's clear that the pandemic has impacted the air sector particularly hard. The Government of Canada has made over $11 billion available to support Canada's air sector. This includes infrastructure and operational funding at airports, rent relief, support for air carrier services to remote and northern communities, and financing for air carriers to help sustain financial viability and ensure refunds for Canadians and the restoration of regional services.

As we work towards the safe restart of a competitive and viable air sector, I am taking steps to rebuild public confidence in the sector. These include helping to ensure efficient and affordable travel options, strengthening air passenger rights and helping the air sector adopt new advanced technology.

On environmental measures, the Prime Minister has also asked me to support Canada's transition to net zero. We know reducing emissions in the transportation sector is key to reaching our climate goals. That is why we are offering incentives to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable and accessible to Canadians. By the end of this January, over 130,000 Canadians and Canadian businesses had benefited from the incentive for zero-emission vehicles. I also emphasized the need for ZEV adoption with our international partners at COP26.

Transport Canada is also developing a strategy to reduce road freight, air and marine emissions. This includes working with our Clydebank Declaration partners to establish green marine shipping corridors. I am thrilled to say that the Port of Montreal and the Port of Antwerp recently signed an agreement to create the first green shipping lane in the world.

Mr. Chair, the high-frequency rail project that I want to discuss with you now is going to transform passenger rail service between Quebec City and Toronto. It will allow Canadians to get to their families faster and better connect our businesses while reducing road congestion and providing a low-emissions travel alternative.

We are working to get the procurement process underway as quickly as possible.

In closing, Mr. Chair, the measures outlined in my mandate letter reflect the Government of Canada's commitment to delivering transportation policies and programs that promote safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible transportation.

As always, I'm grateful to the committee for its input on transportation issues, and I look forward to continuing our work together.

With that, Mr. Chair, I conclude, and I am ready for the honourable members' questions. I would be pleased to answer them.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Minister.

To begin our first round of questioning, we have six minutes for Ms. Lantsman.

Ms. Lantsman, the floor is yours.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for joining us at committee. To all of the officials we'll get to speak to in the next hour, I know how much work it is, particularly when you are so busy. I know that a committee appearance puts a lot of people to work.

I'll get right into it on the question of mandates.

Minister, you talked about this at the very beginning, and I know that today Canadians learned—or at least I learned—that you granted some exemptions on the trucker mandate, and I commend you for that.

In your statements over the past months, you continue to claim that vaccine mandates, particularly the cross-border ones, are based in science and are being implemented to protect Canadians. I just wanted to know if you're able to provide the committee with any study or data that you're confidently basing these statements on.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

To my colleague, I want to first congratulate her—I've done that privately, but I want to do it publicly—on her appointment as the transportation critic. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with her and her colleagues.

Mr. Chair, vaccines save lives. I wasn't honestly expecting to get a question about providing evidence for that, but I'd be more than happy to provide evidence that vaccines save lives.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Minister, I'm going to interrupt for one second.

The question is not about whether vaccines save lives. It's about what data you are using to implement the cross-border trucking mandate. We know that vaccines save lives.

I'll make this easier for you. What is the positivity rate before the mandate and maybe the positivity rate afterwards, so that we know whether it's working?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Great. I'm happy to answer that question.

If you agree with me that vaccines save lives, then I'm sure you'll agree with me that you want to save the lives of truckers and transportation workers. I'm sure you'll agree with me that you want to reduce hospitalization rates among truck drivers and other transportation workers. I'm sure you'll agree with me that lower infection rates, hospitalization rates and death rates among truckers and other transportation workers will be good for our supply chain and good for our economy.

Again, if the evidence is available and persuasive that vaccines save lives and reduce hospitalization, this is all the evidence that all of us need to support the fact that truckers should be vaccinated.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

I know that my time is limited. The department is making decisions based not on any studies but on general hospitalization rates.

Minister, you mentioned in the past that regulations were being created on a cross-country, interprovincial trucking mandate. Can you tell me what day those will be announced?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Again, vaccines save lives. What we have said is that we are studying a formulation of regulations for all federally regulated sectors, and right now, there are consultations ongoing with all sectors. I'm unable to give anybody a date yet because the consultations are ongoing.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Thank you. I understand that the pandemic is dynamic, but is there any scenario planning about when restrictions might be lifted or what the appropriate thresholds are? I just want to know whether these restrictions are actually being studied based on data or, frankly, the notion that vaccines save lives, which I think we all agree with, or is it public opinion?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, we've said from the beginning that our public health measures are derived based on science and data, and they are done to protect the health and safety of Canadians, but they're also done to protect our economy.

We've also said that these measures are temporary, and we have all the willingness to continue to adjust them as the public health situation changes. We've demonstrated that in the past and we have demonstrated that this week.

Yes, I can't wait for all of these measures to be lifted, but it is also responsible of me to tell Canadians that we don't know when these measures will be lifted. They will be lifted when the time is right and when our public health experts tell us that it's safe to do so.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Thanks, Minister.

I actually just want to move to travel restrictions. What I'm trying to get at is I'm trying to see if the committee can access any of the data based on which you are making decisions or on which you are claiming to be making decisions. On the advice that you received on travel recommendations, my understanding is that the experts that your own government listens to.... In the last set of restrictions, the recommendation was a level 2 travel advisory, but you implemented a level 3 travel advisory. Is that true?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, let me remind Canadians and everyone else who is watching us that two months ago, or almost three months ago now, we were at the beginning of the omicron wave. We had just discovered it and scientists around the world were alerting us to this new variant that is highly transmissible. There was a lot of other information that was still missing about omicron and the impact it would have on public health.

I remember Conservative colleagues in the House of Commons demanding stricter border measures to manage the arrival of omicron to Canada, and what did we do then? We imposed additional strict measures not purely to protect the health and safety of Canadians and to slow down the importation of omicron, but to also advise Canadians about the risk associated with travelling internationally when this new variant was spreading everywhere and carrying a lot of unpredictability with it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Ms. Lantsman. Thank you, Minister.

The next round of questions is for six minutes. We go to Mr. Badawey.

Mr. Badawey, the floor is yours.

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Minister Alghabra, for being here with us today.

Minister, multimodal trade corridors are an important part of our supply chains. I am the member of Parliament for Niagara Centre. Can the minister comment on the importance of the Niagara region—a Great Lakes, multimodal trade corridor region that has the Welland Canal running right through the middle of it—and how it is an integral part to strengthening our nation's international trade performance?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, let me thank my honourable colleague from Niagara Centre for his work. He is the previous chair of this committee. He did a marvellous job of chairing the committee, and I'm glad that he continues to be a member of it.

I also want to echo what he said. He's absolutely right. He's been a vocal champion of implementing policies and investments that will help improve our supply chains, particularly of issues that touch upon his community and enhance the ability for his community to be a powerful economic engine in the region. He's absolutely right and I look forward to continuing to work with him on strengthening the supply chain, particularly for his region.

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Thank you, Minister, and with that, the Great Lakes in particular are an economic engine. They move $19.8 billion dollars in goods, support 238,000 jobs, and generate $45 billion dollars in commerce annually, components that are critical to post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts.

Minister, can you comment on how the Great Lakes can be leveraged to create fluidity, eliminating bottlenecks, being more environmentally friendly in the movement of trade and contributing to our country's post-COVID-19 economic recovery?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Look, we are all now talking about the challenges that our supply chains are facing and the stress they're enduring. In our discussions about how we can increase fluidity, redundancy and resilience in our supply chains, we need to look at other smart options for transporting goods. The Great Lakes offer an excellent means for products and goods to be transported in an environmentally safe way.

We will continue to look at options and utilize this option to ensure that we enhance the resilience of our supply chain.

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

I have to comment on some of the discussion you had with the member opposite, primarily having to do with multimodal trade corridors with road, rail, air and water.

Frankly, because of mandates, almost 90% of truckers are vaccinated. We also note that that mandate in other transport modes, like shipping, for example, led to very high rates of vaccination for workers. That's the evidence.

That said, it gave us the ability to ensure that our supply chains and the movement of trade, not only throughout the Great Lakes but globally, were secure. People were with people who were healthy, and not only healthy within their environments, vis-à-vis a ship or in a truck or with CBSA agents or people they were bringing supplies to, but also the broader population.

With that, Minister, can you comment on how important it is that that transpired and that it continues to transpire in terms of vaccinations, and, of course, for those modes of transportation that are healthy to then maintain healthier supply chains?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Let me start by saying thank you to our truckers. Canadian truckers have served and continue to serve Canadians with professionalism, with dedication and with pride. They delivered vaccines and other critical equipment—produce, manufactured equipment and parts—for our economy and for Canadians during a very challenging time. They also understood how important it was to get vaccinated, for themselves and for their loved ones and co-workers. That's why 90% of truckers are fully vaccinated. That's why truckers have distanced themselves from these illegal blockades and illegal occupations. Truckers are working, as we speak, delivering for Canadians.

I also want to thank all workers in the transportation sector. Our transportation sector is critical to our economy. It's critical to our security. If you speak to other sectors, they'll tell you that one of the most challenging issues today is absenteeism, because of infection rates or because of hospitalization or challenges caused by COVID. Workers in the transportation sector stepped up. They stepped up to protect themselves, their loved ones and their co-workers, but also to protect our supply chain.

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Minister, I've heard great support from, for example, the Seafarers' International Union, representing all the workers on the Great Lakes, and the truckers' associations, who are all in support of the direction we took. What are you hearing out there?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

You're absolutely right. I've been meeting with all stakeholders, unions, employers. People understand the importance of vaccination.

You mentioned the seafarers' union. The Canadian Trucking Alliance and others, such as Teamsters, all were vocal in, first, recognizing the importance of vaccination and, second, condemning illegal blockades and illegal occupations, which do nothing to advance the priorities of truckers and other transportation workers.

I will continue to meet with all stakeholders—including, by the way, ones who disagree with us. This is how we do things in Canada. This is my job. This is our job as elected officials, to speak with all stakeholders, all of our workers, all of our industries, to hear directly from them about their priorities. Our government will always be there to support them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Minister. Thank you very much, Mr. Badawey.

Mr. Barsalou‑Duval, you have the floor for six minutes.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Minister, I don't recall if, in your opening remarks, you mentioned the Lac-Mégantic bypass, but I know it's in your mandate letter. You have recently launched consultations on this, in conjunction with the Canadian Transportation Agency.

According to the operating plan submitted by Canadian Pacific, they intend to quadruple train speeds and double train lengths. Originally, the track relocation was to be done in an effort to reconcile with the public and ensure their safety.

Are you still committed to safety? Do you consider that increasing oil transport is a safety-related project?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

The Lac-Mégantic rail bypass project is a priority of mine. I have been working with my colleagues, with Minister Bibeau, the Conservative member who represents that area, and other MPs, including my Bloc critic, to ensure we do it right. The community has suffered because of the tragedy, and we need to be there to ensure not only that the bypass is built as quickly as possible, but also that it is done with the highest standard of safety and consideration for local communities.

I've been meeting with stakeholders. I've been talking to CP. We want to make sure that this bypass, first of all, is done with the consent of communities, that we have the support of the community, and that it's done safely.