Transport committee  I think that Mr. Brunet dealt with the dredging issue well. As for whether it would be possible for Canadian shipowners to compete in Europe if ever the market were reciprocal, the answer is no. As I mentioned just now, European vessels have much lower operating costs than ours.

Transport committee  I can give you a simple example. A study conducted two years ago by Ernst & Young and Innovation maritime gave the example of a Danish crew that could, under the economic agreement, come to Canada to engage in cabotage. The Danish vessel could have a Danish captain and a crew

Transport committee  Yes, most empty containers are moved by train, not by ship. The problem with Bill C-49 is that it is widening the crack that was opened with the economic agreement with Europe. Even before that agreement, we had discussions and we were asked what we thought about the possibility

Transport committee  There was no consultation on Bill C-49. As we mentioned, there were consultations about the economic agreement with Europe from the time when it was signed. Before it was signed, there was no national consultation with industry. We know that international companies were consulte

Transport committee  What we are asking for is, when a foreign vessel arrives here and applies to engage in cabotage in Canadian waters, we make sure that it has all—

Transport committee  I am talking about everything, coastal shipping and dredging. If the vessel is coming to do work that is currently governed by the Coasting Trade Act, we are asking that, once it has arrived, it can submit a proper application so that we can check whether it has received all the

Transport committee  Actually, those requests are made at the moment, but no one makes sure that everything has been completed before the final authorization is issued. Doing it that way would make sure that there is some rigorous control.

Transport committee  It is subject to the rules of the country whose flag it is flying. If it is registered in a foreign country, it follows the rules of the country whose flag it is flying.

Transport committee  Yes, if the vessel flies that flag.

Transport committee  Actually, a strong maritime industry has infrastructure to match the transportation needs. That means having ships that meet the highest standards in terms of energy and operational efficiency. It also means having crews that are well trained and that meet the highest standards.

Transport committee  No, we were not consulted about Bill C-49.

Transport committee  At the beginning, when we heard what was included in the economic agreement with Europe, one of our concerns was that it was going to open a crack in the Coasting Trade Act. We were afraid that the crack would grow bigger. Bill C-49 shows that our fears were justified, because we

Transport committee  Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen members of the committee, thank you for giving us an opportunity to share our comments and concerns with respect to Bill C-49, and more specifically the amendments proposed to the Coasting Trade Act. I will introduce myself. I am Martin Fournier