Transport committee  Madam Chair, I'd be fine with an extra half hour, if that's agreeable to the committee. I think we need the two meetings to discuss the transportation logistics strategy with regard to the east coast, so I'd suggest an extra 30 minutes.

Transport committee  Thank you for clarifying that. From B.C., Mr. Haakonson, you talked about the act having to trust the public and first nations. I think you said that you support this bill and the proposed changes and so on. This is just a very general question. Overall, does the bill meet your needs and expectations in the B.C. region?

Transport committee  For the cruise lines association, Mr. McGarry, I think you are pretty positive about this bill and the proposed changes. It supports greater standardization from a national perspective. There were some suggestions by some shipping industry people that it increases costs. Do you have any concerns around future potential costs to the cruise line industry?

Transport committee  Thank you to our witnesses for being here today. We heard from some previous witnesses at our last meeting as well that the proposed changes to this act are getting a lot of support and are pretty positive overall. Wendy, from your perspective, you talked about engagement with local connections to manage challenges that may arise and about closing the loop.

Transport committee  I can recall when offshore oil and gas became a major industry in Newfound and Labrador. I refer to that because it's the one I'm most familiar with, Bull Arm and Arnold's Cove within that area of Placentia Bay, which coexists with the fishing industry and an aquaculture industry project and others.

Transport committee  For any of the witnesses here today, I know in some earlier conversations that some concerns were expressed about the long consultation process and some of the points that were being raised. Mr. Lewis-Manning, do you think this bill addresses most of these issues?

Transport committee  Go ahead, Mr. Broad.

Transport committee  Do you anticipate that there might be additional costs for the shipping industry as a result of the changes proposed here?

Transport committee  Okay. Thank you. Mr. Pelletier, I guess you made reference to and saw the effect of safety as paramount in this whole process. I'm going to ask you a very simple question. Do you think this bill meets your needs and expectations?

Transport committee  Thank you to all our guests for their presentations today. This act, of course, is crucially important to the riding that I represent in Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly Placentia Bay, as Mr. Griffiths just referenced. I have had numerous conversations with the pilotage authority of Atlantic Canada and others, and I appreciate the information that has been provided to all of us over the last number of months and years.

Transport committee  A follow-up question to that is around Internet connectivity and cell service across rural Canada. It's been a topic of major discussion among rural caucus and Atlantic caucus, which represent many small communities. Internet connectivity is so important for these rural communities, to allow for business development and business expansion, such as in the tourism industry and others.

Transport committee  I know the gas tax fund bumped up the extra $2.2 billion, which leaves $32.9 million for small communities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly. We truly appreciate that extra funding. I know that you've been on the road a lot across the country. What are some of the things you've learned on the ground, and some things that may have surprised you about the challenges small rural communities face?

Transport committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Minister, as a rural member of Parliament, I represent very small communities in my riding of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity. We often hear from these municipalities about infrastructure upgrades. Sometimes they can't afford large infrastructure projects. How is government supporting rural and remote communities with their unique infrastructure challenges and needs?

Transport committee  Mr. Benson, I was just reading your your executive summary. You talk about how you're supportive, of course, of seat belts, but then you list 11 serious concerns that your membership has highlighted in terms of how we function with seat belts on school buses, the challenge of enforcement and so on.

Transport committee  I appreciate where you're coming from. Again, it says in your statement that, “Notwithstanding the statistics, the 'egg crate' method of protecting children in school buses is not sufficient for higher speed collisions, T-bone accidents and roll overs. Restrain[t] systems are the best solution....”