Lisa Raitt

[Transportation Safety, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I can inform the House that according to Transport Canada's own documentation there will be zero changes in the number of people employed in motor vehicle safety in the next three years. In fact, we are doing very much to ensure that these people have the tools needed. That is why we are intent on introducing a bill that would address a problem that we have come across in the past number of years.

I find it audacious that the member opposite would indicate that he has been trying to move this forward when, indeed, the reality of the truth is he voted against the notice of compliance, the notice of defect regulations that we passed last year.

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 25th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian airport authorities, CAAs, are not-for-profit, non-share capital corporations governed by boards of directors drawn from the local/regional population. The majority of the directors are nominated or appointed directly by municipalities in the region served by the airport, as well as local and regional business or other socio-economic organizations, such as boards of trade, chambers of commerce and consumers associations. The federal and provincial governments also nominate or appoint individuals to airport authority boards of directors.

No elected officials, whether from the municipal, provincial or federal level of government, are eligible for appointment to CAA boards of directors. This practice ensures that public confidence and trust in the integrity and impartiality of shared governance organizations is conserved, and removes any actual or perceived conflict of interest.

[Marine Transportation, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this government is very proud of its work and its history with respect to the St. Lawrence Seaway. It is an incredibly important lifeline into the heart of Canada's hinterland, and indeed, it allows us to move goods in a very efficient manner all the way into the United States from the ports in the Great Lakes.

Of course we look after it. We invest heavily with respect to the St. Lawrence Seaway and all of the ports along the river as well. Montreal, Quebec, and Trois-Rivières have all seen significant investment by this government, and we will continue to make sure that we look out for their best interests.

[Canada Post, May 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post has a five-point plan to ensure that it returns to self-sufficiency. One part of that is to convert the last remaining one-third of Canadian households to community mailboxes. In doing this work, it is expected to work with the municipalities in siting and take into consideration the concerns of the people who will be having this change. We expect that it will do that in a very thoughtful manner.

In terms of the number of municipalities, it is very clear that the resolution that was attempted to be passed at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities failed miserably with respect to taking us to task for these decisions.

[Canada Post, May 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as part of their five-point plan to ensure self-sustainability, Canada Post is converting the last third of addresses to community mailboxes.

In siting these mailboxes in municipalities, it must work with the municipality. In fact, it sends out a survey to each and every homeowner who will be affected by the move to the community mailbox. It gets this information back and it is supposed to work with the municipalities.

We expect Canada Post to do exactly that, and to be sensitive to the needs of municipalities. With respect to the jurisdiction, however, that is a matter before the courts, and I expect that will be solved there.

[Rail Transportation, May 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, once again I am very pleased with our announcement on Friday.

If we look at the details of the actual phasing out, we will see very clearly that Canada is a full eight months ahead of the United States in the first phase-out. That is a very important step. We said we would be geared to April 2017, and indeed, we will be doing so.

With respect to the ECP brakes that the hon. member pointed out, we continue to do our testing here in Canada. We have agreed that those would be operating rules not attached to the tank car standard. That is the appropriate way to manoeuvre.

[Rail Transportation, May 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to update the House on our announcement that happened in Washington on Friday with the Secretary of Transport, Secretary Foxx.

We made the announcement together because by nature, these cars go back and forth across the border. It was the culmination of years-long amount of negotiation work with the United States to balance what can be done, reasonably and pragmatically, with respect to the phase-out, and Canada's very real desire to get this done as quickly as possible.

I am very proud of the work that the officials of Transport Canada did and I am proud of our government for moving forward on this.

[Canada Post, April 30th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that, in 68% of Canadian households, there will be no change through moving to community mailboxes. Secondly, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recognized this, too, when it overwhelmingly defeated a motion that called on us to reverse Canada Post's direction in moving to community mailboxes.

Canada Post has an obligation to be self-sufficient. This is its plan, it is implementing it, and we expect it to do it in a sensitive way, taking into consideration communities' needs.

[Marine Atlantic, April 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that Marine Atlantic will receive the funding it needs to continue to provide the frequency of service Atlantic Canadians are accustomed to.

[Canada Post, April 29th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post has indicated that to deal with the fact that it is no longer self-sufficient and is continuing to see its mail delivery erode, it has put together a five-point plan. As a result, one aspect of this is to ensure that consumers can actually receive their postal services at places they normally frequent, like a Shoppers Drug Mart or another facility where they can do so. It is contracting out in order to ensure that there is best value for the Canadian taxpayer, and we are indeed supporting its plan.