Transport committee  As the minister said today, we are working on a national zero-emission vehicle strategy with provincial governments and experts in the field. We have a number of partners and we're moving forward—we've committed to this publicly—and we are certainly trying to bring the national ZEV strategy together in a timely manner.

Transport committee  I would add one small comment before I turn it over to my colleague from the Canadian Transportation Agency. Very shortly after Bill C-49 received royal assent, Minister Garneau and the CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency launched consultations on the details for the regulations that are now possible because of the legislative framework put in the bill.

Transport committee  I may take the high-frequency rail here on the part of Transport Canada. Madam Chair, as the member implies in the question, the value proposition around high-frequency rail is to have a significant increase in the number of times the train goes between key cities in the Quebec City—Toronto corridor and to have it operate on dedicated track so that it has both higher frequency and higher reliability.

Transport committee  It strikes me as a remarkable difference. I'd say emphatically yes, in environmental performance, in accessibility, in reliability. The plan is to replace the entire train sets, both the locomotives and the passenger cars. It's the single biggest investment in VIA rolling stock in, I think, living memory.

Transport committee  I'm sorry. VIA Rail is managing the procurement, so I would defer to them.

Transport committee  I'd defer to our colleagues from VIA Rail to answer that question.

Transport committee  That's a very good question. We seek to be quite transparent in the civil aviation inspection program. There are some points of information that are confidential, where the confidentiality advances the inspection oversight program, but some of it needs to be public. We could get back to the committee on exactly what information is available and what can be made available.

Transport committee  We will do that.

Public Accounts committee  That's a great question, Mr. Chair. On the broad national trade corridors fund across the country, they're all partnership funds. On the broad programs, we would expect something like 3:1 or 4:1 ratios, where $1 of federal money unlocks $3 or $4 of total infrastructure build. Up in the northern and remote communities, we've structured the programs to be more generous in terms of the federal cost sharing, simply because of the tougher economics up there.

Public Accounts committee  There has been money lapse in the past. I think in recent years, Ross, there really hasn't been much money lapse in ACAP, right?

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, the government has defined a very clear plan in terms of investing in Canada with multiple elements of infrastructure programming. One of particular importance to the northern and remote communities is the national trade corridors fund, which has a very clear plan and very clear objectives in terms of expanding the capacity of the transportation systems in Canada to meet the mobility needs of Canadians and to enable economic growth in the country and expansion of the middle class.

Public Accounts committee  It's a great question, Mr. Chair.

Public Accounts committee  I'll be quick. First of all, we're exercising leadership in terms of acting to address pressing infrastructure needs as described. Second is that I think if we were to write a unilateral federal strategy, we could do it pretty quickly, but I don't think it would be that effective.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, I agree absolutely with the gentleman when he says that aviation safety and the quality of the infrastructures are very closely linked. I completely agree. As the Auditor General has just said, even although the two are very linked, the central reason for his audit is not aviation safety, because Transport Canada looks after aviation safety.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, it's a great question. It cuts to the heart of setting priorities in implementing infrastructure programs. Transport Canada certainly has solid sources of information in terms of infrastructure needs and infrastructure deficits. I think the study you were referring to in your previous comments provides some information but it is far from perfect, in part, as you point out correctly, because the response rate was well below 100%.