David Anderson

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 28th, 1996]

Transport Canada advises as follows: The only agreement that exists is the operating agreement between the federal government, Canadian National, CN, and Canadian Pacific, CP, dated April 1, 1993. As the railways have indicated, they share our interest in moving to a more efficient grain transportation and handling system. The government does not expect that the existing operating agreement will be an obstacle to an open bidding process for the sale of the cars. Officials are beginning discussions with the railways on possible changes to the operating agreement. Based on these

discussions, the government will determine the appropriate way of modifying or terminating the current agreement.

[Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act, May 27th, 1996]

moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in.

[Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act, May 17th, 1996]

moved:

Motion No. 25

That Bill C-20 be amended by deleting Clause 96.1.

[Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act, May 17th, 1996]

moved:

Motion No. 13

That Bill C-20, in Clause 23, be amended in the French version by replacing lines 17 to 21, on page 14, with the following:

"par écrit qu'une majorité des usagers qui seront touchés de façon significative par la fourniture de services supplémentaires est favorable à ce projet."

Motion No. 14

That Bill C-20, in Clause 23, be amended in the English version by replacing line 23, on page 14, with the following:

"(6) For the purpose of subsection (5), a".

[Road Safety, May 17th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to draw to the attention of hon. members that May 17 to 23 has been proclaimed national road safety week in Canada.

National road safety week, which is sponsored by the Canada Safety Council, aims to raise awareness of road safety issues and promote safe driving practices.

Because 1996 marks the 15th anniversary of operation life saver, the focus of road safety week this year will be on the need to reduce the high annual number of grade crossing accidents across the country.

Operation life saver, sponsored by both the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada, works in co-operation with the Canada Safety Council and provincial organizations to promote rail safety.

Operation live saver's mission is to make people aware of the dangers associated with level crossings, grade crossings and the dangers of trespassing on railway properties.

Studies show that many drivers are unaware of just how dangerous railway crossings can be. They do not understand how fast trains move, or how long it takes them to come to a stop.

Operation life saver produces printed materials, films and audio-visual presentations. It assists in driver education activities and also hosts special events aimed at promoting greater awareness of rail safety.

Mr. Speaker, like you, many of the hon. members with children will be encouraged to know that operation life saver targets educational activities toward youngsters who use railway property as a short cut to school or to a playground.

Transport Canada has been a proud supporter of operation life saver for many years, and hon. members will be pleased to hear that the federal governement intends to contineu supporting this valuable program well into the future.

On another related topic, it is also my very great pleasure to announce the federal government has reached agreements with eight of the provinces and the two territories to continue the implementation of the National Safety Code. The last agreements are with the two remaining provinces for signature.

The National Safety Code was developed in 1987 by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to encourage trucking safety. It is to promote efficiency in the motor carrier industry and to ensure consistent safety standards in this area across the country.

The code covers such topics as commercial vehicle maintenance and inspection, hours of service, trip inspection reports, driver-examiner training, and the implementation of a national driver's license.

As part of this announcement, the Government of Canada will provide the provinces and territories with $20 million over five years to help put the National Safety Code in place.

This funding is a good human and financial investment. The National Safety Code will help reduce commercial vehicle accidents. That means fewer deaths and fewer injuries on our highways.

It will also help to ensure Canadians remain competitive by applying common standards across the country instead of the patchwork system of rules and regulations we have had in the past.

I would urge all members of this house to support national road safety week, specifically the efforts under way by this governement and others to reduce railway crossing accidents and strangthen commercial vehicle safety.

I urge all hon. members to take heed of the message of road safety week and drive safely.

[Mining, May 17th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the first question by our new colleague, the hon. member for Labrador. I thank him for the energy he has displayed and the initiative he has taken with this issue, organizing as he did in his first weeks in this House meetings with the premier of Newfoundland, a senior minister from Newfoundland, myself, the Minister of National Defence, the entire municipal council of Goose Bay and others.

Aviation staff from my department have been monitoring the increased aviation traffic around the Nain airport which is a serious matter of concern. An aviation safety review team, including officials from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and from my department visited Nain at the end of April.

The aviation safety review team is finalizing its report and we are confident that working with the province of Newfoundland and with the hon. member, we will be able to resolve this issue to everyone's satisfaction.

[Air Transportation, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois is always pressuring me in this House to interfere either in the affairs of Quebec or those of some regional organization or another. We, in the federal government, do not want to get involved when it is not our responsibility to step in.

The hon. member should be reminded that my mandate consists in ensuring that issues concerning aircraft and air carrier safety are considered.

[Air Transportation, May 15th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, responsibility for Aéroports de Montréal is in the hands of local authorities. This means the cities of Montreal and Laval, the mayors of neighbouring cities, the chambers of commerce, the Mirabel promotion corporation as well as the Montérégie regional economic development corporation and the City of Longueuil. It is therefore up to local authorities.

We entrusted the decision to a regional organization, which has made a quite tenable decision. I have no desire, at the federal level, to make any attempt to interfere with what it has done.

[Transportation, May 14th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member presented a letter to me, and I understand to every member of the press gallery, dealing with this issue.

I can say to him that we made public in the summer of 1995 the full financial decision making of Marine Atlantic with respect to this route. This included all the financial reports, all expenses, revenues and subsidies for the years 1992 to expected 1998. I will certainly provide the member with the information that was provided last summer which he apparently does not have.

With respect to the $100,000 he has referred to, another particular study on this route, the request is currently being studied and a decision on that will be made in due course. When the study is completed we will make the results available to the hon. member and every other member of this House.

We are facing tough decisions in Atlantic Canada. It is not helped by the members from the Reform Party who believed in subsidizing roads when it came to the byelection in Labrador and now apparently-

[Transportation, May 14th, 1996]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member went to the maritimes and came back a convinced believer in transportation subsidies which I am delighted to hear.

Let me point out that we currently subsidize the line he is talking about for more than $5 million a year. We are trying to reduce our subsidies for transportation. We are trying and succeeding. We have discovered that by reducing the service for the six winter months when only 8 per cent of the traffic of that service takes place, we can save $1.5 million.

It is a tough decision but the government is willing to make tough decisions based on principle. Reform's taxpayers budget talked about eliminating these subsidies to transportation yet the hon. member and his friends immediately go off and suggest that we increase subsidies. That is a very contradictory position.