Transport committee  I would agree with your articulation of the phase-out schedule. It's 2025. They should be completely phased out. I would note that the—

Transport committee  Exactly. As I said, I agree with you, but I just want to make one point, please.

Transport committee  I think that's true. That's one way of transporting dangerous goods, and if it's done properly and the risk is minimized, then I'm supportive. What I'm trying to convey to you is that the actions have not been taken to minimize safety risks. The TSB chair has noted that it wante

Transport committee  I don't know what the publication is that quoted me, but what I've said already is that there is a discrepancy between the needs to improve safety, which have been outlined and identified by multiple reports, and the marginal progress that Transport Canada has made. Just look a

Transport committee  That's the question. As a locomotive engineer, maybe Mr. McPherson is better placed to answer that question.

Transport committee  Well, just to remind you, there have been some major oil and gas pipeline accidents. Recently, in Belgium, 24 people were killed. The Quebec participants will recall that in LaSalle, Quebec, the gas line was destroyed and 28 people were killed. In Mexico, recently, in 2012, at

Transport committee  Thank you, Mr. Bachrach. No, and the fact is that these concerns have been articulated going back to just after safety management systems came into force in 2002. There was the 2007 Railway Safety Act Review, and the 2013.... You know, there's been a whole series of reports and

Transport committee  In my opening I highlighted a few safety risks that are outstanding and that have been outstanding for a long time. I've characterized the relationship between the industry and Transport Canada as one of capture and complicity, and that's the power relationship between the two. I

Transport committee  I heard the ministry in the last session say that it was adequately resourced, but I'm skeptical when I look at what's happened over the last four decades. In the infamous Paul Martin budget, Transport Canada resources were cut by over 50%, especially with respect to regulatory a

Transport committee  Yes. I couldn't have said it better than the Auditor General herself, who said that it was "a big loophole". It was pretty much the same kind of critique that the AG's 2013 report made. It remains a risk, and what else can I say? It's pretty dismaying.

Transport committee  Thank you, Chair, and thank you, honourable members, for inviting me to testify before this committee. I want to make a few initial points at the outset about Lac-Mégantic. I presume that Mr. Bellefleur is going to focus his comments on that. I think it's important that we remem