Lisa Raitt

[Quebec Bridge, October 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, first we should be very clear that this bridge is safe and that it has an ability to be used on a daily basis as it is. Second, it is CN's responsibility to ensure it is keeping up the infrastructure in an appropriate way. We say that includes utilizing the bridge in such a way as to ensure that it is painted.

The court has made a ruling right now. There will be a second ruling coming, and we are waiting for that. In the meantime, my officials are reviewing what the court has said so far.

[Quebec Bridge, October 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, obviously we are disappointed with the decision of the courts. My officials are looking into the ruling right now. I would caution the House that there is a second part of this ruling, this judgment, that will be coming out, and we are going to be waiting for that.

That being said, we still firmly stand on the proposition that CN should paint this bridge, and we have done exactly the right thing in pursuing this on behalf of taxpayers.

[Questions on the Order Paper, October 24th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) to (e), Transport Canada does not issue boat operator licences. Transport Canada is responsible for pleasure craft licensing, vessel registration, and operator competency.

In response to part (f), this falls under the purview of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

[Marine Transportation, October 23rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our government is very well aware of the fact that as we continue to sign free trade agreements around the world, we will have increased traffic in our waters. That is why we embarked upon, over a year ago, a world-class tanker safety panel to provide us with the state of play in terms of how we were in the country right now in preparedness, and second, what we could do to make it better.

We are in good condition here in this country. We do have recommendations. We have taken steps to make it better. For example, I announced funding a week and a half ago for Ocean Networks Canada, which will put in place a system of networks and a system of sensors to make Canada the smartest coastline monitoring country in the entire world. It is these kinds of steps and investments that do make a difference.

[Rail Transportation, October 23rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, VIA Rail is an independent crown corporation that makes its own decisions with respect to operational matters. That being said, I can tell the House that it, too, has a mandate as well. Its mandate is to make sure that it meets the needs of today's travellers and that it does so without being too much of a drain on taxpayer dollars, because it is funded by the taxpayer.

With those two pieces of information, VIA Rail sets its schedule, sets its operations, and indeed determines on what frequency there is going to be travel in that certain part of the country.

[Canada Post, October 23rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated in the House before, Canada Post is an arm's-length corporation. It has its own board of directors; it has its own management. They are there to make decisions in the best interests of Canada Post. We do not intervene in the day-to-day operations or decisions of Canada Post. However, it has to remain self-sustainable and that is exactly why it is implementing its five-point plan right now.

[Canada Post, October 23rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, Canada Post is an arm's-length organization with a very specific mandate to ensure that it is self-sustainable. That being said, it has a five-point plan to ensure that it is self-sustainable going into the future, and that includes converting the last one-third of households, which currently receive mail door to door, to community mailboxes. It is proceeding with this plan, and with its plan too it will ensure it returns to self-sustainability, as is required under its act.

[Marine Transportation, October 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has a very robust system for dealing with the movement of tankers, whatever their product may be, internally. In fact, we have already had an expert panel review these for us. It has come up with recommendations that we are looking at implementing now as well. The system is safe.

One other thing that I would like to mention is that we have been transporting cargoes of oil on the Atlantic coast for 100 years now. It has always been done very safely, and people in that area are very capable and qualified and competent to deal with anything that may happen.

[Canada Post, October 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post currently only delivers to the doors of one-third of Canadian homes. It will be moving to phase that out over the next five years in order to ensure that it can remain self-sufficient, as it is supposed to do under its constituting statutes.

That said, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has had this discussion. It has duly considered a recommendation and a resolution asking the government to overturn Canada Post's decision, and it soundly defeated this resolution en masse.

Canada Post will continue to implement its five-point plan.

[Rail Transportation, October 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would just caution the hon. member on talking about the causation before the Transportation Safety Board has weighed in on the cause of the accident. We do wait for it to do its work.

With respect to fatigue management plans, Transport Canada does indeed have the requirement that railway companies submit fatigue management plans. As well we do have rules for railway operating employees developed under the Railway Safety Act. We do have rules in place. We expect the companies to respect them. We want to have their plans and we will ensure that we enforce appropriately.