Lisa Raitt

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, moving it to a regulatory power is very important because having a statutory obligation to come in to amend a statute is a much more blunt instrument than being able to move through regulatory reform.

As the hon. member knows as well, we will be striking a review panel for the CTA. It will be charged first and foremost with handling these matters that the hon. member just set out with respect to the movement of grain.

I cannot presuppose what the result of those consultations will be, nor what the advice of this panel would be. However, I can say that it will be charged with this at the outset as the most important thing for it to handle.

We look forward to being able to announce the launch of this panel in the coming weeks.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, there are two aspects to this.

We have a commodity supply chain table that Transport Canada is facilitating to have these kinds of discussions about the chains.

We took it very seriously when we set the actual tonnage level that we expected the railways to move. It was done so in contemplation that all corridors would be moved, and the numbers chosen actually reflected that maximum amounts of grain had moved through those corridors on a historical basis. As such, we knew that we would be pushing the railways in terms of how much they could carry, and indeed they have fulfilled their marks we have set out for them.

In moving forward, we are going to be looking more closely, through the review of the Canada Transportation Act, at the importance of ensuring that the chain is robust, it can adapt to differences and that we attract investment into this chain over the long term. I am looking forward to that discussion and that review as well.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, that is exactly why we have introduced Bill C-30, and that is why we enjoy the support of all parties on C-30, because we want to get to the right place, and the right place is ensuring that we are moving as much grain as we possibly can.

However, we cannot forget or deny the fact that this has been a bumper crop year. We have seen an increase of over 33% over previous years. We had anticipated there would be a higher carry-out if it continued along at the same level. That is why we found it necessary and important to issue an order to the railway companies to make sure that they are moving a million tonnes of grain a week so that we can move and clear out as much of this backlog as possible.

Even more important is preplanning. Commencing next year, in coordination with the CTA, I would be, as minister, in the position of being able to discuss and plan at the front end what the crop looks like and how we will accomplish moving the crop. It is something in which we believe very strongly and in which we are taking strong action.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, with respect to rail safety, this government has spent over $100 million in extra funding in rail safety for the past number of years since 2009. We started in 2007 with respect to doing a study on what was needed for rail safety, and we acted on it by putting the money behind it. This is what the department indicated was needed: $72 million over five years plus and an extra $15 million in operating funds. Those are the numbers that are needed in order to carry out what we are doing in rail safety.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, the underlying assertion of fact is incorrect. I do not knowingly think that this is impossible. In fact, I think it is quite possible, and that is exactly why we introduced this standard, based upon good information that was provided to me by officials.

At the end of the day, we are trying to get to the right place for rail safety in this country. We know that these companies can absolutely meet three years, and if they cannot, they will be telling it to us as we go through with developing standards.

Today in the United States, the secretary of transport made the same kind of analysis, that they do not want to be using these cars at all for the purposes of transporting, so we are on the same page on this. We want safer communities and safer rail travel.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, first, we struck an advisory group coming out of the transportation of dangerous goods advisory committee, and it provided a report at the end of January 2014.

With that report, consultations took place with industry through my officials, and that is where the development of this standard came from and that is where the development of this data came from, and we are comfortable with this.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, I know that SMS can be a contentious topic for people who do not necessarily believe in the system, but I can say who does believe in the system, and that is the chair of the Transportation Safety Board. She has clearly said that SMS systems are the way to go for the future, and that is the direction we have gone in.

She specifically said that SMS is a powerful, internationally recognized management tool to help organizations find trouble before trouble finds them, and indeed aviation accidents in Canada have decreased by 25% in the last decade and are now at an all-time low.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

I have not, Mr. Chair.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Mr. Chair, just to expand for a second, as the hon. member knows, the Auditor General made some recommendations, and my department put together a going-forward plan, a management action plan, on how to deal with this. I have been updated, most recently in preparation for today, with respect to where we are in the plan, and I can say that with respect to that issue of ensuring that inspectors and managers receive training in a timely manner, I have been informed by officials that by spring of 2014, all 100 inspectors and managers who require training to become SMS auditors will have received the appropriate training.

[Business of Supply, May 7th, 2014]

Yes, Mr. Chair.