House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2019, with 36% of the vote.
Canada Post April 29th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, as I said before, Canada Post has delivered 1.4 billion fewer letters than it did in 2006. As a result, it is converting the remaining one-third of houses to community mailboxes.
In that process, every single person affected by this change is sent a survey. People are asked to fill it in and asked what they want and what they do not want in terms of a community mailbox. That is taken back, taken into consideration, and there is a 90% satisfaction rate.
The Environment April 28th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the animation from the opposite side of the House. However, the reality is this. We have increased Coast Guard funding by 27%. That is one thing this government has done.
I can also indicate that we are ensuring that there is enough money to pay in a polluter pay principle to ensure that spills can be dealt with in an effective manner.
We have expanded the national aerial surveillance program by 55% to ensure that we have a watchful eye on tankers moving through Canadian waters. We are adopting area response plans. These are real things, not the fantasies of the NDP.
The Environment April 28th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, we are pursuing the most ambitious trade agenda that Canada has ever seen. However, we are also taking it very seriously that in order to deliver our goods to the world we have to make sure that we are ready for the increase in traffic. That is why we have embarked upon a world-class tanker safety system. We have made significant investments. We have worked with many partners in British Columbia to deliver on these promises.
These are actions. These are real, and that is very contrary to what the party over there does, making empty promises it can never deliver on.
Air Transportation April 28th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, as I previously mentioned in the answer before, in 2002 the department created a civil aviation action plan in order to respond to the critique of the report of the Auditor General that spring.
We are monitoring the carrying out and implementation of this action plan. There is also parliamentary committee oversight. As I stated already, we will use every tool we have to ensure that Transport Canada is fulfilling its mandate with respect to oversight of civil aviation.
Air Transportation April 28th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, first of all we want to thank the Transportation Safety Board for its report wherein it found that the Buffalo Airways airline was found to not be following the rules. We find this to be absolutely unacceptable.
Safety management systems are internationally known as the gold standard. That is what we employ here in Canada. In 2012, Transport Canada developed a civil aviation action plan to ensure that oversight was as robust as needed for its mandate. We will continue to monitor the implementation of these changes that Transport Canada is bringing about, and we will not hesitate to use every tool that we have in order to ensure that Transport Canada is carrying out the mandate.
Questions on the Order Paper April 27th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, on December 11, 2013, Canada Post announced its five-point action plan to better serve all customers and return the corporation to profitability.
The announcement followed broad engagement with Canadians to identify how their needs and expectations were changing. In 2014, Canada Post began implementing the plan, which will form the foundation of a new postal system designed to serve Canadians' evolving postal needs and help the corporation succeed in the digital age. The conversion to community mailboxes is the most visible part of the five-point action plan. All Canadian households that still receive mail at the door, representing about five million addresses, are starting to be converted to community mailbox delivery, including in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Also as a part of the five-point action plan, Canada Post is expanding access and convenience to postal services through franchises and streamlining internal operations across Canada, including Newfoundland and Labrador. In order to ensure the postal service is sustainable, Canada Post is making changes where necessary and is reviewing hours of operations in some corporate post offices across the country to ensure they represent the real needs of the communities. All changes honour the Canadian Postal Service Charter and the moratorium on closing rural post offices.
The implementation of the five-point action plan is forecasted to take five years to complete. Once fully implemented, four of the five initiatives contained in the five-point action plan are expected to contribute an estimated $700 to $900 million per year to the corporation.
The Environment April 23rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I cannot comment on projects that are under consideration, but what I can say is that the Canada Marine Act is very clear that the third party port, which is arm's length from the government, does have obligations to ensure that there are environmental studies undertaken before it takes up any act or physical changes on its property and land. I expect the Port of Quebec to work with the community in these matters if that is something that is going to be happening there.
Shipping April 23rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, with respect to this particular incident, I am going to ask the member if he will provide me with some more information. I will go back and discuss it with officials, and I can provide an answer to his question more fulsomely.
Canada Post April 23rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the appropriate place for this to be debated, as to who has what jurisdiction in this matter, is before the courts. That is exactly where it is. A decision will be forthcoming, and then we will all know exactly who had the right to do what.
Canada Post April 23rd, 2015
Mr. Speaker, we know why Canada Post is moving forward on its five-point plan. It is because it is not in a position to continuously self-sustain its finances. As a result, it has moved from having door-to-door service to having community mailboxes. In siting these community mailboxes, Canada Post must work with the communities, and it must follow all rules and regulations. The particular incident is before the courts. As such, it is inappropriate to comment further.