Madam Speaker, I am pleased today to rise and speak in support of Bill C-58 which has received consideration by the Standing Committee on Transport last November and has been finally referred back to the House for third reading. I commend my colleagues for their diligent work on this significant piece of legislation.
Two in depth reviews have been conducted to date by independent and departmental safety experts on the Railway Safety Act. One was in 1994 and more recently another in 1997. These reviews confirm the validity of the underlying principles of the act. In both cases the overall excellent safety record of the Canadian rail industry was clearly acknowledged, and we are very proud of that.
However these reviews also identified opportunities to further enhance the legislation aimed at building and improving on this effective safety framework. The amendments proposed in the legislation were prepared following a thorough consultative process with the railway industry, railway unions, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Canadian Safety Council, Transport 2000, provincial officials and other interested parties, and there was a great number of them.
Consultations were held as late as October of last year. These sessions provided stakeholders with an opportunity to reach a consensus on the intent of these proposed Railway Safety Act amendments which reflect best practices used in safety regimes from other modes of transportation.
The benefits of full consultation were amply demonstrated by our stakeholder success in seeing their views integrated into the improved legislative package. As a result they expressed to the standing committee their high level of comfort with the bill.
I am pleased to inform the House that the proposed legislative changes in Bill C-58 as approved by the Standing Committee on Transport will enhance our ability to give assurance to Canadians of the continuing health of railway safety in the country.
Some of the most important changes in the bill have been made in order to make our railway system much safer. Among other things these changes include a new policy statement; authority to require railways to implement safety management systems with an auditing process; authority to require railways to report safety critical information, an absolute must; a new safety compliance order targeted at safety management system deficiencies; increased authority for railway safety inspectors which is lacking at the present time; and an improved consultative process with all partners concerned.
We believe that these and other measures proposed in the bill will benefit Canadians greatly through the continuous improvement of all elements of the railway system.
I can assure the House that Transport Canada considers railway safety to be of utmost importance. As the Transportation Safety Board has noted, Canada enjoys a commendable rail safety record. To maintain this record departmental rail safety inspectors will continue to monitor all railway company safety performance across Canada.
Transport Canada will also continue to take action to attend to any safety deficiencies that may arise to ensure that the safety of the Canadian transportation system is not compromised.
The history of this act is characterized by co-operation among concerned parties. Railways and unions, provinces and municipalities and professional associations have all contributed to the development of this act over time.
At the Standing Committee on Transport last year many witnesses came forward to voice their support of what they felt to be a good piece of legislation. Stakeholders, industry and labour commended the process by which the legislation had been developed. In particular, they appreciated the opportunity to fully voice their concerns and to see these concerns being addressed.
For example, as a result of comments made by stakeholders to the Standing Committee on Transport the government was very pleased to add a new section to the bill, section 26.2, which states that railway equipment has the right of way at highway crossings. This provision has the wide support of stakeholders and was satisfactory to concerned parties.
It may seem obvious that railway equipment has the right of way when one considers the mass of a train compared to that of a measly motor vehicle. However, setting this out in clear language may help Canadians to realize that railway vehicles, unlike motor vehicles, require long distances to come to a stop. This section will therefore help in raising public awareness and advancing crossing safety.
Technical amendments put forward by members of the standing committee have also been incorporated into the bill. The Standing Committee on Transport has helped through its considerable efforts to improve an already sound piece of legislation.
The bill contains a very innovative approach to the problem of train whistles in our communities. The whistle signals the approach of a train to a crossing. This very simple device has historically been an effective safety warning. Yet it can be very disruptive to people who live close to the railway line, especially if the whistles are blowing at three o'clock or four o'clock in the morning. Over the years railways have ceased whistling at crossings in a number of communities. This was initiated following strict guidelines established by Transport Canada.
The scheme set out in the bill, which was endorsed by municipal representatives and in particular by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, will require railways to stop whistling where a local government has passed a motion approving whistle cessation and if the location meets Transport Canada's standards as set out in legislation. We believe this will foster a co-operative approach to solving problems between railways and communities.
To conclude, Transport Canada's first priority is the safety of the transportation system in Canada. I believe these amendments to the Railway Safety Act will strengthen the regulatory framework governing safety in this critical mode of transportation and will provide the means to ensure that Canada's railways will continue to improve their safety performance as we head into the 21st century.
I urge all hon. members of the House to give quick passage to the legislation so that it can be considered by the other house.