Mr. Speaker, my question deals with the implementation of the Alternative Fuels Act which was proposed by Senator Kenny and adopted in 1995. It requires federal departments and agencies to select motor vehicles capable of operating on alternative fuels.
The act takes a flexible approach in defining alternative fuel as a fuel that is less damaging to the environment than conventional fuels. Widely available alternative fuels include ethanol and ethanol gasoline blends, propane, methanol and natural gas.
The Alternative Fuels Act requires the shift to alternative fuels by the federal government to occur in three stages. The first phase requires 50% of the fleet in the fiscal year that began in April 1997. The second phase requires 60% of the fleet by the fiscal year that will begin on April 1. The third phase requires 75% of the fleet for the fiscal year commencing April 1, 1999. For every fiscal year thereafter there will be an increment.
There are good reasons to switch to cleaner fuels. The question now is whether the right example is being set. In some cases we are setting a good example. I am told that the Minister of Natural Resources and the deputy minister of that department use vehicles operated by propane and ethanol blends. The President of the Treasury Board uses an ethanol blend. The minister and deputy minister of the environment use propane in their vehicles. The deputy minister of finance uses an ethanol blend.
However, I am told that the Minister of Finance is not yet using alternative fuels. The minister and deputy minister of national revenue use gasoline vehicles. The minister and deputy minister of fisheries and oceans use ethanol blends only “where available and cost effective”. Neither the minister nor the deputy minister of health uses an alternative fuel vehicle.
As for the departments, I am told that National Revenue operates 588 vehicles but only 12 use alternative fuels. This is in spite of the fact that there are 423 propane stations, 48 natural gas stations, 97 ethanol stations and 6 methanol stations within 10 kilometres of the fleet operated in various locations by this department.
The Department of Health has indicated that in the fiscal year 1997-98 it will purchase 75 vehicles. I am told that not one of those vehicles will operate on alternative fuels. In reply to a question on the order paper in the Senate presented by Senator Kenny the Department of Health said that it has 575 vehicles in its fleet, with none operating on alternative fuels.
I was told that the Department of the Environment would purchase 30 vehicles in the upcoming fiscal year and that 20 of these would run on alternative fuels. However, of 657 vehicles currently operated by Environment Canada only 60 are run on alternative fuels.
There are at least 17 refuelling stations offering alternative fuels within 10 kilometres of this House. These stations provide propane, natural gas, ethanol and methanol, four of the most commonly available alternative fuels.
I have a few words about cars running on gasoline. Here the departments could give leadership by using a gasoline ethanol blend. When it comes to adding new vehicles to their fleets, departments can show leadership by ensuring the engines can run on propane. Using propane makes a lot of sense because it is less expensive than gasoline and other fuels.
My question for the President of the Treasury Board is what progress will be made in implementing this important legislation and, in particular, is half the federal fleet operating today on alternative fuels as required by the Alternative Fuels Act?