The House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN)

Date: Thursday, January 12, 2023

Time: 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Location: Webcast through Zoom (televised meeting)

Subject: Travel delays and the treatment of air and rail passengers

Witnesses:

Transport Canada

  • Hon. Omar Alghabra, P.C., M.P., Minister of Transport (first hour only)
  • Dominic Rochon, Acting Deputy Minister of Transport
  • Nicholas Robinson, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety & Security
  • Craig Hutton, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy
  • Colin Stacey, Director General, Air Policy (second hour only)

Canadian Transportation Agency

  • France Pégeot, Chair and Chief Executive Officer
  • Tom Oomen, Director General, Analysis and Outreach Branch

Opening 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):

  1. Conservative Party
  2. Liberal Party
  3. Bloc Québecois
  4. New Democratic Party

For the second and subsequent rounds, time allocation is as follows (25 mins):

  1. Conservative (5 mins);
  2. Liberal (5 mins);
  3. Bloc Québecois (2.5 mins);
  4. New Democratic Party (2.5 mins);
  5. Conservative (5 mins);
  6. 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.

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 undertaken several other studies while establishing its forward plan:

  • Mandate of the Minister of Transport
  • Mandate of the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
  • Canada’s Preparedness to Respond to Russian Threats to Canadian Waters, Ports and Airspace
  • State of Canada’s Supply Chain
  • Anticipated labour shortages in the transportation sector
  • Reducing red tape and costs on rural and urban Canadian airports
  • The impact of commercial shipping on shoreline erosion
  • Inter-city bus transport
  • Air Passenger Protection Regulations
  • Supplementary Estimates (B) 2022-2023

On January 9, 2023, the Committee voted to extend its study of airport delays to hear witnesses surrounding the travel disruptions that afflicted Sunwing and VIA Rail passengers during the holiday travel season.

In addition, the Committee has also adopted several reports:

Committee activity within the last year

TRAN completed twelve studies from November 2021 and November 2022. These studies touched on matters such as the threats posed by Russia on Canada’s transportation system, railway safety, labour shortages in the transportation sector, Canada’s supply chain and the reduction of costs for airports and air travel.

Study: Mandate of the Minister of Transport

  • Sponsor(s): N/A.
  • Span of the study: February 17, 2022 (One meeting)
  • Report: N/A

Study: Mandate of the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

  • Sponsor(s): N/A
  • Span of the study: February 28, 2022 (One meeting)
  • Report: N/A

Study: Railway Safety

Study: Canada’s preparedness to respond to Russian threats to Canadian waters, ports and airspace

  • Sponsor(s): Melissa Lantsman, CPC (Thornhill, ON)
  • Span of the study: March 21 to March 24, 2022 (Two meetings)
  • Report: N/A

Study: Canada Infrastructure Bank

Study: State of Canada’s Supply Chain

Study: International Civil Aviation Organization

Study: Targeted Infrastructure Investment

Study: Reducing Red Tape and Costs on Rural and Urban Canadian Airports

  • Sponsor(s): Melissa Lanstman (Thornhill, ON)
  • Span of the study: May 16, 20222022 to October 3, 2022 (Five meetings)
  • Report: Pending

Study: Main Estimates 2022-2023

  • Sponsor(s): N/A
  • Span of the study: May 30, 2022 (One meeting)
  • Report: N/A

Study: Anticipated Labour Shortages in the Canadian Transportation Sector

  • Sponsor(s): N/A
  • Span of the study: October 5, 2022 to November 2, 2022 (Six meetings)
  • Report: Pending

Study: Impact of Commercial Shipping on Shoreline Erosion

Study: Air Passenger Protection Regulations

  • Sponsor(s): Taylor Bachrach (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC)
  • Span of the study: Ongoing from November 21, 2022 (One meeting)
  • Report: TBD

Study: Inter-City Transport by Bus in Canada

  • Sponsor(s): Taylor Bachrach (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC)
  • Span of the study: Ongoing from November 23, 2022 (One meeting)
  • Report: TBD

Report a problem with this page

Date modified: