The House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN)
Date: March 21, 2022
Time: 11:0AM – 1:00PM (The Minister is only available for the first hour)
Location: Webcast through Zoom (televised meeting)
Subject: Canada’s preparedness to respond to Russian threats to Canadian waters, ports and airspace
Witnesses:
Transport Canada
- Hon. Omar Alghabra, P.C., M.P., Minister of Transport
- Michael Keenan, Deputy Minister of Transport
- Julie Gascon, Director General, Marine Safety and Security
- Nicholas Robinson, Director General, Civil Aviation
Marc-Yves Bertin, Director General, Marine PolicyOpening Remarks: Minister to deliver 5 mins opening remarks.
Question of witnesses:
For the first round of questioning, six (6) minutes (for both question and answer) to a representative of each party in the following order (24 mins):
- Conservative Party
- Liberal Party
- Bloc Québecois
- New Democratic Party
For the second and subsequent rounds, time allocation is as follows (25 mins):
- Conservative (5 mins);
- Liberal (5 mins);
- Bloc Québecois (2.5 mins);
- New Democratic Party (2.5 mins);
- Conservative (5 mins);
- Liberal (5 mins).
About TRAN
The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) was reconvened on December 16, 2021 following the opening of the 44th Parliament. Overall, the TRAN Committee held 46 meetings during the 43rd Parliament. It is important to note that committee activity was disrupted as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, the number of meetings is not representative of normal circumstances. As is the case with most Committees, Committee membership is aligned with the distribution of seats in the House of Commons.
The committee can study any aspect of the management and operations of Transport Canada and Infrastructure Canada, as well as any legislation, programs or policy areas administered by the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Infrastructure. The scope of issues related to transport, infrastructure and communities is quite broad and includes:
- federal programs and policies for air, rail, road and marine transportation;
- federal infrastructure funding such as the New Building Canada Fund, and the Gateways and Border Crossing Fund;
- Crown corporations (e.g., VIA Rail Canada Inc., pilotage authorities and the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated), administrative tribunals and agencies (i.e., Transportation Appeal Tribunal and the Canadian Transportation Agency), and shared governance organizations (e.g., port and airport authorities) within the Transport and Infrastructure ministers’ portfolios; and
- a range of issues affecting productivity and quality of life in Canadian cities and communities (e.g., traffic congestion and community infrastructure).
Since the Committee has reconvened, it has held several planning meetings in addition to holding a study on the mandate letter of the Minister of Transport. During the planning meetings, the Committee agreed to prioritize studies on the following matters:
- Supply Chains;
- Reducing costs for airports and air travel;
- Labour shortages in the transportation sector;
- The impact of commercial shipping on shoreline erosion; and
- Inter-city bus transport
In addition, the Committee has also readopted two reports from the previous session:
- Report 1 -A Study of Aircraft Certification in Canada in Light of Two Accidents Involving Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302
- Report 2 - Emerging from the Crisis: A Study of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Air Transport Sector
Active Studies at Dissolution
From September 2020 to June 2021, the Committee held several meetings in order to analyze the Estimates of Transport Canada and Infrastructure Canada. Prior to the summer 2021 adjournment and the dissolution that followed, TRAN initiated two studies relevant to Transport Canada’s portfolio:
Study: Government’s Response to the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 Tragedy
Sponsor: Stephanie Kusie, Conservative Party (Calgary Midnapore, AB)
Span of the study: May 13 to June 10, 2021 (Two meetings)
Study: Railway Safety
Sponsor(s): N/A
Span of the study: June 15 to June 17, 2021 (Two meetings)
Report: N/A
Committee activity within the last year
In addition to referrals from the House of Commons, TRAN completed three studies from February 2020 to June 2021. These studies touched on matters such as departmental expenditures, the process for aircraft certification and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the air sector. The committee requested Government Responses for the latter two reports, which were nullified by the dissolution of Parliament on August 15, 2021. Upon reconstitution, the committee could readopt the reports and seek Government Responses once again.
Study: Aircraft Certification Process
Sponsor(s): N/A.
Span of the study: February 5, 2020 to May 27, 2021 (eight meetings)
Study: Impact of COVID-19 on the Aviation Sector
Sponsor(s): N/A
Span of the study: December 1, 2020 to June 8, 2021 (12 meetings)
Study: Mandate of the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Transport
Sponsor(s): N/A
Span of the study: February 27, 2020 (One meeting)
Report: N/A
Study: Government’s Response to the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 Tragedy
Sponsor(s): Stephanie Kusie, Conservative Party (Calgary Midnapore, AB)
Span of the study: May 13 to June 10, 2021 (Two meetings)
Report: N/A
Government Response: N/A
Study: Targeted Infrastructure Investment
Sponsor(s): N/A
Span of the study: April 15 to May 6, 2021 (Six meetings)
Report: N/A
Study: Main Estimates 2021-2022
Sponsor(s): N/A, pursuant to an Order of Reference from the House of Commons
Span of the study: March 25 to April 22, 2021 (Two meetings)
Report: Report 1 – Main Estimates 2021-2022
Study: Follow-up Audit on Rail Safety
Sponsor(s): Taylor Bachrach, NDP (Skeena – Bulkley Valley, BC)
Span of the study: April 13, 2021 (One meeting)
Report: N/A
Study: Canada Infrastructure Bank
Sponsor(s): N/A
Span of the study: February 23 to March 23, 2021 (Five meetings)
Report: N/A
Study: Main Estimates 2020-2021
Sponsor(s): N/A, pursuant to an Order of Reference from the House of Commons
Span of the study: November 5 to November 19, 2018 (Two meetings)
Report: N/A
Study: Supplementary Estimates (B) 2020-2021
Sponsor(s): N/A, pursuant to an Order of Reference from the House of Commons
Span of the study: November 5 to November 19, 2020 (Two meetings)
Report: N/A