Stan Dromisky

[Transportation, June 3rd, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, a very delicate and serious problem is the congestion we have at most of our major airports, especially at Vancouver, Pearson and Dorval. However, we instituted a study in May 1999 regarding Pearson airport. Now we are examining the possibility of carrying out such a study with the airport at Dorval. We hope that as far as all three airports are concerned we will be making progress in these areas.

[Questions On The Order Paper, May 31st, 1999]

This is a list of remaining regional and local ports in British Columbia as of March 31, 1999:

Ahousat—Gambier Island—Piers Island—Southbank, François Lake,

Alert Bay—Gold River—Port Clements—Stewart

Alice Arm—Grief Point—Port Graves—Sturdies Bay

Alliford Bay—Halfmoon Bay—Port Hardy—Swartz Bay

Billings Bay—Halkett Bay—Port Renfrew—Takla Landing

Blubber Bay—Harrison Hot Springs—Port Simpson—Telegraph Creek

Brentwood Bay—Hopkins Landing—Port Washington—Thetis Island

Campbell River—Horseshoe Bay—Powell River—Tofino

Chemainus—Keats Island—Saanichton Bay—Ucluelet

Coal Harbour—Kelsey Bay—Savary Island—Vananda Cove

Deep Cove—Kuper Island—Seymour Arm—Vaucroft Beach

Eastbourne—Masset—Sicamous—Victoria and Esquimalt

Esperanza—Miners Bay—Sidney—Whaletown

Fernwood Point—Montague Harbour—Snug Cove

Friendly Cove—Nanoose Bay—Sointula

[Division No. 454, May 25th, 1999]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the issue raised by the hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester this evening on the air traffic control tower at Kelowna airport.

I begin by assuring the member that Nav Canada applies air traffic control procedures to address visibility limitations such as those at Kelowna airport. Transport Canada is satisfied with the corporation's actions to mitigate any potential safety risk until a more permanent solution is available.

I emphasize that Transport Canada no longer has an operational role with respect to the provision of air traffic control services in Canada. Nav Canada is responsible for these services including the operation, location and construction of air traffic control towers.

I reiterate that the airport operator is expanding the apron parking area and construction has already begun. This will contribute to alleviating the obstruction of views caused by the parking of large aircraft. In the longer term Nav Canada is continuing its efforts to install an effective video system and is commencing feasibility studies for the location of a new tower.

As we know, safety is Transport Canada's top priority and the Minister of Transport continues to be responsible for safety oversight. The member may be assured that Transport Canada will continue to monitor the Kelowna airport as part of the department's ongoing airport inspection program.

[Carriage By Air Act, May 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly very pleased to rise today to bring to the attention of my hon. colleagues the short but very important Bill S-23 which was considered and passed by the Senate earlier in March.

My hon. colleagues will recall that parliament recently dealt with legislation pertaining to marine liability in the form of Bill S-4. With the introduction of Bill S-23, we are proposing to move in the area of air carrier liability.

Bill S-23 amends the Carriage by Air Act so that Canada can join other states in legally recognizing two major international instruments dealing with matters relating to air carrier liability such as Montreal Protocol No. 4 which relates to cargo and the Guadalajara convention which clarifies the coverage of the Warsaw convention.

These two documents update and modernize elements of the Warsaw convention, which sets out the legal rights and responsibilities of the carrier, passengers and shippers in relation to international air transportation. They will be annexed to the legislation as schedules IV and V.

The Carriage by Air Act was first enacted in 1947 to give the federal government the authority to have Canada accede to the Warsaw convention, which had been signed in 1929.

The act was amended in 1963 to authorize the federal government to implement The Hague protocol, which amended and updated the Warsaw convention to take into account the evolution in the requirements of airline carriage in the 25 years following its signature.

What we are seeking with this bill is essentially the same as in 1963: additions to the Carriage by Air Act which will enhance and clarify air carrier liability coverage and simplify documentary requirements.

The unification of law relating to the international carriage by air, in particular the unification of law relating to liability, has been of vital importance for the harmonious management of international air transport. Without such unification, complex conflicts of laws would arise and the settlement of claims would be unpredictable, very costly, time consuming, and possibly uninsurable. Furthermore, conflicts of jurisdiction could arise which would further aggravate the settlement of liability claims.

This uniformity remains a significant contributor to the facilitation of international air transportation in that the conditions for the carriage of passengers, baggage and cargo are to a large degree similar on international flights.

In this regard the Warsaw convention has been hailed and recognized as the one international private law conventions that has managed to unify the legal systems of some 140 states party to it.

However, on the international scene it has long been recognized that the 1929 Warsaw convention requires change to modernize it so as to provide a wider mandated protection for passengers, for carriers and for shippers. Montreal Protocol No. 4 and the Guadalajara convention were developed to do just that.

Montreal Protocol No. 4 amends the liability regime as it applies to cargo by providing stricter carrier liability and establishing unbreakable limits. It also simplifies the cargo documentation requirements and authorizes the electronic transmission of information. This transmission of cargo information, using means other than the traditional multicopy air waybill, can provide significant cost savings to carriers and to shippers.

It has become extremely important that Canada act quickly to accede to this protocol as it came into effect in June 1998 when the minimum number of 30 states had ratified it. More specifically, the protocol was ratified by the United States in late 1998 and came into effect in that country on March 4 of this year.

This means that until Canada has been able to deposit its own ratification documents and the protocol has come into effect in Canada, our carriers and our shippers will be at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis their U.S. counterparts.

The Guadalajara convention clarifies the relationship between passengers and shippers on the one hand and carriers on the other. The convention extends the rules of the Warsaw liability regime to the carrier actually performing the carriage when it is not the same as the carrier with which the passenger or shipper has contracted.

This sharing of the liability between contracting and operating carrier, when they are not the same, has become increasingly important as international carriers, such as both Air Canada and Canadian Airlines, joined together in global commercial alliances.

Extensive consultations were conducted by Transport Canada. It was determined that both Montreal Protocol No. 4 and the Guadalajara convention have the unanimous support of the Canadian aviation industry as well as all the aviation related organizations in Canada.

Notably, the airlines are very anxious for Canada to act quickly, particularly now that Montreal Protocol No. 4 is in force and applies in many countries.

In addition to industry consultations, 23 federal departments and agencies were consulted, including justice, finance, foreign affairs, national defence and the Canadian Transportation Agency. All departments expressed support for or raised absolutely no concerns regarding the adoption by Canada of these two very important instruments.

It is imperative, hon. members, that we ensure that Canadian carriers, travellers and shippers have the benefit of an international legal regime that better reflects the realities of today's aviation industry.

I believe we should move quickly to adopt this short but extremely important bill. To delay would be to increase the length of time our carriers will be at a competitive disadvantage.

[Grain Transportation, May 14th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that the government is very pleased with Justice Estey's vision for a more efficient and reliable grain handling and transportation system, including appropriate safeguards where they are required.

The Minister of Transport appointed Mr. Arthur Kroeger, a very eminent individual, to consult with the stakeholders over the summer of this year on the details of how a more commercial system would work. The chairman will report back to the Minister of Transport by September 30, 1999.

[Motor Vehicle Safety, May 12th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question because it deals with an issue that is of concern to everyone who owns a vehicle in this country.

Transport Canada's first priority is safety. As a result, when a vehicle manufacturer or importer becomes aware of a safety related defect they are required under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act to notify the Department of Transport and to notify in writing each owner of the affected vehicles. Past experience shows us that this really works effectively.

In addition, the Department of Transport mails out a monthly list for recalls to subscribers. I would also like to notify everyone that they can find this information on the web, by inputting the make of the vehicle, the model and the year.

[Transport, May 7th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we realize that there have been problems in the negotiation process in this situation. It is a very delicate one.

The government as well as the parties concerned, the municipality, as well as the chief and representatives of the Indian band, have been working diligently in this area. We hope that on May 15 they may come to some conclusion and settle this issue once and for all to the betterment and to the benefit of all parties concerned.

[Medical Assistance Programs International Of Canada, May 7th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute today to Medical Assistance Programs International of Canada, commonly known as MAP, a very special medical aid agency.

I first became aware of MAP through my work as a member of the Canada-Cuba Friendship Association. Since the fall of 1995 MAP has shipped $7.5 million worth of medicine to Cuba to help treat more than one million people. As well, MAP has shipped more than $48 million worth of medicine, vaccines and hospital supplies to more than 60 countries, including Kosovo, since 1990.

MAP's work, which is not for profit, is carried out in partnership with various departments and agencies of the Government of Canada.

The products which MAP provides are donated by member companies of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada, the Non-prescription Drug Manufacturers of Canada and by providers of vaccines and hospital supplies.

Together Medical Assistance Programs International of Canada and Canadians are doing their part to improve the health of millions of people.

[National Horse Of Canada Act, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the matters raised by the hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester on April 22, 1999 regarding the transportation of test quantities of mixed oxide fuel, otherwise known as MOX fuel.

Transport Canada's role is to ensure that if dangerous goods are transported in Canada, they are transported safely.

Before the transport of MOX fuel for testing in Chalk River can take place in Canada, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is required to develop an emergency response assistance plan and obtain approval of the plan from Transport Canada. The emergency response assistance plan must set out how Atomic Energy of Canada Limited would respond in the event of an emergency. As well, it would contain the proposed routing options. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited has not yet proposed a plan to Transport Canada.

Given the fact that every year in Canada there are over 800,000 shipments of radioactive materials, department officials routinely offer technical sessions for fire chiefs and other respondents as a measure of safety. The offer from Transport Canada to begin the technical sessions in Nova Scotia erroneously contained the statement that the Russian federation MOX would arrive in Halifax.

As I mentioned earlier, we do not yet have a proposal from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Therefore, we do not know if Halifax will be proposed or not. However I can assure the House that if an application is received Transport Canada will carry out its role of ensuring that if this material is transported in Canada it will be transported safely.

[Nav Canada, April 29th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester is quite aware of the fact that we have been very sensitive and have been monitoring the situation very closely.

If Nav Canada, which is responsible for the implementation of these regulations at that airport, deems it necessary after the interim measures I have already mentioned are implemented, and if they are not successful and Transport Canada monitors the situation, then I am sure further action will take place.