Karen McCrimmon

[Strengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act, September 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the member is right. The way the legislation currently sits, the minister has absolutely no ability to compel a manufacturer or a dealer to address an issue. That is what we need to do.

We have not had to use those powers. Here in Canada, our dealerships, manufacturers, and importers have been quite responsive to the demands of the government. However, in case something like that ever happens, having those powers and for the minister to be able to use them would be very important.

[Strengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act, September 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague knows it is very difficult to respond to hypotheticals and to speculate.

I understand the member's concern, to make sure that we have a viable enforcement regime in place. I know the minister understands this as well. There are many ways of encouraging compliance, and I think that is what we want, a multi-functional approach to actual compliance.

[Strengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act, September 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the member is right to point out that Bill S-2 does build upon Bill C-62. It actually goes further by adding extra mechanisms for the minister to use, and one of those is this consent agreement, which would allow him to negotiate and mediate long-term solutions. Right now, the minister does not have the power to compel any manufacturer or dealer to address issues. This is why there is a need for this bill and why there needs to be a little flexibility in how we address these issues.

It all comes back to the same issue over and over again. It is about what we need to do to protect consumers. We need to be able to do this proactively instead of always being reactive. We need to be part of the solution and negotiate or mediate a solution for Canadians.

[Strengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act, September 19th, 2017]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to share my time with the hon. member for Central Nova.

I am pleased to speak today to Bill S-2,an act to amend the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and to make a consequential amendment to another act. I think safety is of paramount importance, and I am sure it is equally important to all members of Parliament. This bill, as tabled by the government, will help improve the safety of Canadians.

The importance of motor vehicle safety and a strong motor vehicle safety regime is clear. Millions of Canadians rely on that regime as they travel on our roads every single day. Large vehicle recalls in recent years highlight the importance of motor vehicle safety. This importance placed on safety is why we are pursuing the proposed changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Those changes will, if passed, address key gaps in the regime and help ensure the safety of Canadians.

The proposed measures include new order powers for the Minister of Transport to order a company to correct safety defects at no cost to the consumer, an administrative monetary penalty regime and consent agreements to help promote compliance, measures that will help foster the introduction of innovative technologies, and many other proposed changes. These provisions have been envisioned as a suite of changes to strengthen our current safety regime and help ensure Canada can benefit from new technologies.

This is a significant overhaul of these legislative provisions. The motor vehicle safety regime is not as robust as it should be in terms of the protections it provides to Canadians. Should a vehicle have a defect that would threaten safety but a company does not want to repair the defect, there is very little the Government of Canada can do.

This situation could endanger Canadian drivers.

This is not an acceptable situation. While our vehicle manufacturers have a good track record here in Canada, we do not want to be in a situation where there is a safety issue for which we do not have the proper tools or authorities to address the situation. It is our desire to pass this legislation as quickly as possible to ensure that this safety gap is addressed. This is not to state that safety recalls will not occur in the future or that unforeseen risks and problems will not arise, but that we are taking concrete steps to improve safety by including new tools in the legislation that will be available to help address issues when they arise.

As part of the review of the bill, an amendment was brought forward from the other House that would provide additional financial protections to automobile dealers above and beyond those available to purchasers in the event that the minister of transport orders a company to correct a defect or stop a sale. As outlined in the amendment, these protections would ensure that dealers would receive from the vehicle manufacturer or importer the parts needed to correct a defect or the manufacturer or importer would repurchase a vehicle at full price plus transportation costs and compensate the dealer at the rate of 1% per month of the price paid.

I must state from the outset that vehicle dealers are an important component of the Canadian economy. They employ thousands of people across the country. They help to ensure that our vehicles are well maintained, and they are valuable members of the communities in which they operate. The changes introduced in the other chamber were motivated by a sincere desire to protect them from financial harm. This is a perfectly understandable goal, and I would like to thank our colleagues in the other chamber for raising awareness about the concerns that dealers had with Bill S-2.

The purpose of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, however, is to protect the safety of Canadians. It is not designed to regulate the commercial relations between automobile manufacturers and importers and their dealers.

Furthermore, the strengthening motor vehicle safety for Canadians act, as originally introduced, already included provisions that would require manufacturers and importers to be financially responsible for correcting or repairing a defective or non-compliant vehicle. This applies to dealers as well. To clarify, vehicle safety defect repairs would be covered by the manufacturer. This applies to importer vehicle owners, including dealers. I stress that these provisions include dealers because I think that this point was not always fully understood when the bill was initially considered or by the dealers themselves during previous study of this bill.

The originally proposed protections include repairing the vehicle or equipment, replacing the vehicle or equipment with a reasonable equivalent, reimbursing the reasonable cost of repairs to the vehicle or equipment that have already been undertaken before a notice of defect or non-compliance has been given, or reimbursing the sale price of the vehicle or equipment less reasonable depreciation on return of that vehicle or equipment.

The addition of dealer protections above and beyond those available to other purchasers, as well as the generous payment to this particular stakeholder group, would lead to an unbalanced regime that could raise significant risks of disputes between dealers and manufacturers. While the amendment introduced by the other House does impose some minimal obligations on dealers, as written, it would be challenging to enforce. Lacking any recourse mechanism, the involved parties would likely look to Transport Canada to mediate their commercial disputes. These powers are also not part of the amendment, and such activities are not in Transport Canada's mandate.

We believe that this amendment, as written, has many potential unforseen complications. It should be noted that it would actually remove some of the protections that were already built into the act. For example, it would create a mismatch of powers and may mean that dealers who had repaired their vehicle before would not be eligible for reimbursement.

Our overwhelming priority with this bill, as it is more broadly for the minister and across the entire transportation sector, is the safety of Canadians. Passage of the bill as introduced by the government as quickly as possible will help close some key gaps in the motor vehicle safety regime and help ensure the continued safety of Canadians.

[Strengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act, September 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his speech this morning.

I agree that Canada can be a leader in motor vehicle safety and new technologies.

Does the hon. member have any ideas as to how Canada can succeed and prosper and the areas in which it can do so?

[Marine Transportation, June 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, our government is dedicated to ensuring Canadians have an integrated and sustainable transportation system. The ferry service connecting Newfoundland to the mainland serves as a critical economic and social link and a visible element of Canada's constitutional mandate to connect the province to the rest of the country.

We are committed to Newfoundlanders having safe, efficient, and reliable ferry services to the mainland.

[Persons with Disabilities, June 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, the proposal put forward by the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance for a Canadian autism partnership has served to highlight the complex challenges facing families affected by ASD. That is why federally we are supporting a range of initiatives that are needed to truly make a difference for families and that increase the societal inclusion and participation of Canadians with disabilities or functional limitations.

The government will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders on autism to identify effective, responsible opportunities for partnerships to support a better quality of life for those living with autism and their families.

[Persons with Disabilities, June 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for his question and his advocacy.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, want what is best for their children, just as all parents do.

The Government of Canada recognizes that children and adults with autism have different needs that have to be addressed so they can reach their full potential.

The federal government invests considerable sums every year to build skills and support training by filling knowledge gaps and supporting research aimed at making sure children and adults affected by autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, and their families can get the best support and treatment available.

Recent investments have enabled autism researchers in universities and research institutions from across the country to contribute to the ongoing efforts to advance our knowledge about the underlying causes of ASD, and to translate that knowledge into better diagnostic tools and treatments. It has also enabled Canadian researchers to be recognized as global leaders in this area, and to participate in major global research initiatives on autism.

Federal investment in research has a real impact on the lives of people with ASD and their families. That is why our government made significant investments in research and innovation in the last two federal budgets.

For instance, in budget 2016, the federal government announced a new ongoing investment of $30 million per year to support investigator-led research through CIHR. This investment represented the highest amount of new annual funding for discovery health research in more than a decade.

In budget 2016, the federal government also announced an investment of $20 million over three years to Brain Canada to continue efforts toward increasing our understanding of the brain and brain health. This contributed to bringing investments for the Canada brain research fund to $240 million. With more than 800 researchers at 112 institutions, the Canada brain research fund represents the largest public-private fund in Canadian history devoted to supporting brain research.

Thanks to this initiative, Brain Canada has supported 13 research projects in areas related to ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders with funding totalling $16.7 million.

Beyond research and data, we are also investing in initiatives that will make a tangible and practical difference for individuals living with autism in Canada. The $40-million opportunities fund, delivered regionally and nationally through Service Canada centres, is supporting individuals with disabilities, including autism, by providing a range of tools and services that will help them prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment.

In closing, I would like to affirm that the Government of Canada is committed to our continued collaboration with provincial and territorial partners and with autism organizations that are working to support families. We will continue to work collaboratively to align priorities—

[The Environment, June 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, Canada port authorities are critical to our trade dependent economy, providing a safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable marine transportation system. Anchorages are an integral part of an efficient shipping and navigation system.

Considering the effects the use of anchorages may have on the environment remains a priority. Under Canada oceans protection plan, we are committed to develop and implement a process to identify and manage new anchorages outside Canada port authorities or public ports. This would be done, taking into account various risks to marine safety, security and the environment, and will include consultation of local community stakeholders and experts.

[The Environment, June 19th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith for her advocacy.

Trade is a key priority for our government and for Canadians. Canada's trade with countries in the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow. As these trade volumes rise, our west coast ports, our gateways, experience increased activity. This means that on occasion more vessels are ready to enter the port than there are berths available at terminals.

There is, generally speaking, an effective system for managing these vessels at Canadian port authorities and public ports. In order to ensure the safe and secure movement of marine traffic, ships that are waiting to dock at a Canada port authority or a public port are directed to a designated anchorage within the port's waters, pending the availability of a berth at the appropriate facility or terminal.

Under the Canada Marine Act, Canada port authorities and public ports have the authority to assign and manage anchorage spots within their area of jurisdiction. If a ship arrives at a port but no berth is available at the terminal, the port directs it to wait at a designated anchorage within the port's jurisdiction. From time to time, anchorages within port's boundaries may be full or a vessel may be too large for a port's designated anchorages. In these cases, the vessel would need to anchor outside the port's waters.

In recent years, the west coast in particular has seen an increase in the use of local anchorages due to high volumes of traffic. We are aware this creates significant concern for local communities affected by vessel noise and lights.

The Canada Shipping Act currently does not provide for the Governor in Council or the Minister of Transport to designate, approve, or manage anchorage sites in waters outside of the jurisdiction of Canada port authorities and public ports.

Our government recognizes that the environmental integrity of Canadian waters is essential to the well-being of our marine transportation system. Developing a process to identify and manage anchorages outside of a Canada port authority or public port is one of the many important marine safety initiatives in Canada's oceans protection plan. This work, involving technical experts and stakeholder and community consultation, will help to ensure Canada continues to prosper economically, while protecting our marine environment.