House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was rail.

Last in Parliament September 2008, as Liberal MP for North Vancouver (B.C.)

Lost his last election, in 2008, with 37% of the vote.

Statements in the House

International Interests in Mobile Equipment (aircraft equipment) Act October 18th, 2004

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that all the stakeholders involved will be brought into the process so that their interests are carefully considered by the government as it considers the solution to the aeronautics policy.

International Interests in Mobile Equipment (aircraft equipment) Act October 18th, 2004

Mr. Speaker, certainly the aeronautics industry is very important and vital to the economy of Canada. I can say that the Minister of Industry and the Minister of Transport are both working on an aeronautics policy which they will bring to the House for consideration.

International Interests in Mobile Equipment (aircraft equipment) Act October 18th, 2004

Mr. Speaker, I will let my previous record stand in terms of congratulations to you.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss the legislative amendments that will come into force upon the ratification of the convention on international interests and mobile equipment, and the protocol to the convention on international interests and mobile equipment on matters specific to aircraft equipment.

Canada is a leader in electronics registries and has one of the most modern asset based financing systems in the world. Canada already has a sophisticated financial regime that uses assets as collateral. However, implementation of the convention and protocol would benefit the aviation industry by amending insolvency legislation and establishing an international registry specifically for aircraft equipment.

The convention and protocol would establish an international registry in which interests in aircraft equipment would be registered. This registry would replace individual national registries. It would record the existence of rights and prospective rights and determine their priority for use in the purchasing and financing of aircraft.

Currently in Canada each province and territory maintains its own aircraft registry and the federal government maintains a registry as mandated by the Bank Act. The establishment of a single worldwide international registry would replace both the federal and provincial registries for aircraft and aircraft parts in Canada, greatly simplifying aircraft registration. This will create a uniform, secure and predictable environment at the international level for Canadian business. This is in line with Canada's goal of achieving enhanced transparency, security and predictability in international business.

The Bank Act's special security regime allows banks in Canada to register security interests on a national basis for certain types of defined products listed in the act. The types of products that can be registered under the Bank Act are technically broad enough to include aircraft equipment covered by the new protocol.

Since the goal of the protocol is to create a single international registry, amendments to the Bank Act would be required to avoid overlap. The most effective means of doing this would be to remove the aircraft equipment from the application of the Bank Act. The international registry would allow aircraft owners, lessors and financial institutions to record their rights, including security interests in aircraft and aircraft engines.

Registration establishes the purchasers' or the creditors' priority over the unregistered or the subsequently registered interests of other parties. Information in the Internet based registry will be available to and accessible by any individual or company directly. This will provide a considerable advantage in terms of time, cost savings and improved certainty in resolving questions of priorities of interests.

Aviareto, an Ireland based company, was selected as registrar to a tendering process supervised by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The establishment of the international registry has begun and Aviareto will operate the registry once the convention and protocol come into force.

Before Canada ratifies the convention and protocol, a careful examination will be done of the final acceptability of the terms of operation of the new international registry. Canada will withhold ratification until it is satisfied that the registry is fully operational and secure. Amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, and the Winding-Up and Restructuring Act would also be required in order to implement the convention and the protocol.

The bill provides for a special remedy in the case of insolvency that would impose a fixed stay period of 60 days. After this period, creditors could reclaim an aircraft or aircraft equipment on which they have a security. Under current legislation there are various periods within which creditors are subject to a stay on their ability to enforce security interests. These stays can sometimes extend to more than a year. The adoption of a fixed 60 day stay period would increase certainty in the system and level the playing field between Canada and the United States.

The U.S. industry already benefits from a similar provision under the U.S. bankruptcy code. The adoption of consequential amendments to Canada's insolvency laws would benefit Canadian aircraft manufacturers, financiers and airlines at the international level. Although these changes would provide better protection for creditors, they would not materially impact the debtors' ability to pursue reorganizations in the case of insolvency.

The federal legislation required to implement the convention and protocol would make the necessary amendments to the relevant acts. The legislative amendments may be proclaimed into force at different times, but no later than the date on which the convention and the protocol enter into force in Canada.

The establishment of the international registry and the associated harmonized asset based legal regime will significantly reduce the risks associated with aircraft financing. The effect will be a healthier, more stable international aviation industry. Adopting the bill will set in motion the legislative amendments required to achieve the goal.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply October 8th, 2004

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour for me to rise in the House today to speak for the first time as a member of Parliament.

I do so with some sense of Bell family history in that two of my relatives also served in this House. Thomas Bell, born in 1863 in Saint John, New Brunswick, served and was re-elected twice as a Conservative member of Parliament for Saint John--Albert from 1926 to 1935. His son, Thomas Miller Bell, born in 1923 also in Saint John, served as Progressive Conservative member for Saint John--Albert from 1953 to 1974, being re-elected seven times. He was also leader of the official opposition from 1973 to 1974. I would like to take this moment to recognize their many years of dedication and service in this House.

Before I comment on the plan that has been laid out by our government for Parliament and for Canada, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment to the honoured position that you hold and for which I am growing in admiration daily.

First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my constituents, the people of North Vancouver, for giving me the honour of representing and serving them in the Government of Canada. I thank them for giving me the opportunity to speak out on issues of importance to them, to work to bring higher prominence to western issues in the House of Commons, and to contribute to effective governance for all of Canada.

My riding of North Vancouver is known for its natural beauty and the active lifestyle afforded by its mountains, rivers and oceans. We are also known for outstanding tourism opportunities such as Grouse Mountain and the world famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. We have a vibrant, world class film industry anchored by Lions Gate Studios. We have two vital national economic engines in the form of our north shore port of Vancouver facilities and railway facilities. We also have the cultural heritage of the Coast Salish first nation people represented by the Squamish or Skhopnish first nation, and the Tsleil-Waututh Burrard first nation.

The 2010 winter Olympic games are only five and half years away, and while Canada and British Columbia will be hosting the world, North Vancouver will provide both the backdrop and the bridge between Vancouver and Whistler. I intend to help our community take advantage of the focus and attention of the Olympics to work to ensure that the lifestyle environment and the economy of the North Vancouver riding are preserved, protected and re-energized as part of our involvement in these Olympic games.

From the North Vancouver perspective, the Speech from the Throne provides an impressive blueprint for addressing many of the needs of my constituents. I believe the health of Canadians is and should be our primary responsibility, and I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, and the premiers of Canada for their recent agreement to commit to a funding agreement that is needed to address some of the key issues facing our health care system. Reduction of wait lists, enhanced home care, and improved catastrophic drug coverage will all have beneficial effects on the health of Canadians, particularly with our aging population.

The growth in the number of seniors in our communities is one of the primary challenges facing our society. Our government's proposal for a renewed new horizons for seniors program will encourage seniors to maintain healthy, active lifestyles and to continue their involvement in our communities.

The population of North Vancouver includes senior citizens from a wide range of socio-economic levels, and commitments in the throne speech toward an increase to the guaranteed income supplement will have incremental but profound impacts on the quality of life of our seniors.

My constituency is also home to a large contingent of young families, and the need for increased quality, available child care has long been an issue. With the vast majority of parents in both single and dual parent households now working in full time jobs, the Canadian lifestyle has dictated that it is time for our governments to take a more active role in child care support. I am proud that our government, through this throne speech, has made a commitment to begin to fund the hard work involved, ensuring that these families have affordable access to quality child care.

I made mention earlier of the film industry that is located in North Vancouver which employs over 5,000 residents in my riding. This industry contributes over $1 billion a year in British Columbia and over $100 million a year to the north shore alone. We must all take reasonable steps to ensure this vibrant industry continues to grow and prosper in the face of increased protectionism from the United States and from competition from Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.

I also mentioned the importance of the Port of Vancouver which is the second busiest port in North America and the busiest in Canada in shipping Canadian exports around the world, and as the major western gateway to Canada for imports. We must ensure federal policies support the growth and health of our port systems in Canada. Maintaining a healthy road and rail network to serve our ports is essential if we are to compete effectively with American ports.

Tourism is also of vital importance to British Columbia and to my riding. I believe we must take all possible steps to ensure we will benefit to the maximum from the 2010 Olympics. The location of a national tourism centre in British Columbia would be one important part of this direction.

We must recognize the valuable contribution that the aboriginal people make in our community, both to the cultural and to the mosaic of our community. The programs outlined are giving a greater focus toward the needs of aboriginals, and the rights and recognition of the role that aboriginal people play in Canada are extremely important.

I am very excited about the direction taken for the new deal for cities. Many members know that I have served for over 30 years locally in my community, 14 of those years as mayor, some 9 years as a councillor, and 7 years on school boards in North Vancouver. I have also served as the vice-chair of the GVRD and on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

The direction that is now being taken in this throne speech toward reinforcing the role of cities is critically important and has been long awaited. The role of the gas tax is something that has been sought by mayors across Canada, and I am working with the provinces and with the mayors and municipalities. It will be important for our government to very quickly implement the program that we have talked about. The need for sustainable financing for municipalities goes without saying.

I have many new Canadians in my municipality, a large number from Iran. One of the issues that they have told me that is of concern is the recognition of foreign credentials and the streamlining of immigration and the access to members of their family to be able to visit Canada. I will be supporting those as we move ahead.

I would also like to briefly touch on the need for the steps that we can take to assist in the establishment and encouragement of new programs for affordable housing for both young and elderly people across Canada and in my riding as well.

Based on the years of experience that I have had in local government, I am very excited about being here in the House. The last week has been one of growth for me and I have a greater appreciation for the role that those who have gone before me have played. I look forward to working with my associates on both sides of the House toward good government for all of Canada.