TRANSPORTATION POLICY BRIEFING THE HILL TIMES, APRIL 6, 2015 TRANSPORT MINISTER LISA RAITT NDP MP HOANG MAI Pilot behaviour seen in Germanwings crash Railway safety: a disconcerting lack of ‘would not happen in Canada’: Raitt regulatory oversight CONSERVATIVE MP LARRY MILLER LAC-MÉGANTIC Miller says House Transport Committee’s Getting the big picture right: regulating rail report will help strengthen transportation transportation of crude oil after safety in Canada Lac-Mégantic disaster LIBERAL MP DAVID MCGUINTY AIR TAXIS Canadians continue to be deeply concerned Government needs to support smaller about rail safety, and rightly so. airports as TSB investigates air taxis LASER STRIKES RAIL SAFETY Transport Canada data indicates rates of laser Opposition supporting rail safety bill to boost strikes continue to rise ministerial oversight, shipper liability ASIA TRADE Grain competing with other products in western rail as Asian trade prioritized 20 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 TRANSPORTATION POLICY BRIEFING Q&A LISA RAITT Pilot behavior seen in Germanwings crash ‘would not happen in Canada’: Raitt BY RACHEL AIELLO to market. So if we’re signing all timistic that it’ll go through and I these free trade agreements, we am grateful for the support of the ransport Minister Lisa Raitt need to make sure the entire sup- opposition.” Tsays she’s confi dent the ply chain is ready to go and fi ring current annual medical checks and that’s what he’s doing. The new Railway Safety Manage- for Canadian pilots are enough “So for me, day-to-day, it’s ment System (SMS) regulations to ensure the safety of all aboard about safety, but the bigger picture came into effect April 1. Critics Canadian commercial airlines is we have a process in place to and the Transportation Safety and that the series of events that talk about what the future looks Board are still calling for more di- led to the tragic Germanwings like and that’s the exciting side.” rect oversight, and that there will crash over the French Alps re- be more to come in your work cently wouldn’t happen here. Bill C-52, the Safe and Account- with the TSB on this. Are there “I think the gentleman in Ger- able Rail Act, is now at committee any new measures you’re able to manwings was concerned about stage in the House, after two days announce yet? whether or not he would lose his of debate on Monday and Tues- “I had a meeting yesterday licence and he hid so much about day. It hasn’t moved far since you [Monday] with the chair of the his life including his doctor’s introduced it in February. Are you Transportation Safety Board visits. That would not happen in confi dent it will pass before the Kathy Fox, and I have met with Canada,” Ms. Raitt said. House adjourns in June? Why is it the chair of the safety board pre- On March 24, co-pilot An- important that it does? vious too, Wendy Tadros. We take dreas Lubitz deliberately crashed Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, pictured last week in her Confederation Building offi ce “I was very happy yesterday the opportunity to go through Germanwings fl ight 9525 into the on the Hill with HT reporter Rachel Aiello. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright [Monday] that the NDP stood what they term as their watch French Alps, killing all 150 people up and said they were going to list, things that are outstanding on board including himself and his support. That made it a lot easier from their investigations that co-pilot who he locked out of the Hill Times for an interview in her the work we’ve done on marine for the progress of it. There’s they think should be looked at by cockpit. In the days following the Hill offi ce last Tuesday, to dis- tanker safety, the work that we’re going to be a good debate around Transport Canada and we had a crash, grim details have surfaced cuss a wide-spanning number of doing on aviation safety, all of it, but I do see it passing. I think really good conversation, and my about his history of mental illness. issues in the transportation fi le, those things are really important this is something that we’ve been goal is to go back to the depart- Days later in Ottawa, Ms. Raitt from rail safety and the debate and there kind of like day-to-day working on since the Lac Mégan- ment and get some of those items announced new regulations man- over Bill C-52, to the Canadian things that you do. Transport tic tragedy. The committee has moving again, to make sure, like dating Canadian airlines to have Transportation Act review, and Canada has a very involved con- been engaged, the committee has I said before, getting them out of two crewmembers in the cockpit the future of grain shipping and sultation process and sometimes both opposition members on it, the consultation process that is at all times during fl ight. port exports. The following has you just have to give the last push government members on it, so happening, which is valid, and She has instructed Transport been edited for style. to get it out of the department they’ve been working together on into practical application and Canada offi cials to look into any and get it into operation. So that’s it. And I think what I’d say about that’s the goal. other possible gaps in regulations, What the single biggest challenge kind of where I see my role right this is, this is really not one of “So I don’t have anything to but said she’s “content” with the sys- in the transportation fi le current- now in the department. those fi les that you treat political- tell you right now, other than the tem in place. Currently, under the ly and how is the government “On the future of transpor- ly. This isn’t an ideology. Every- fact that I can illustrate that we Aeronautics Act, pilots are expected addressing it? tation, I’m very excited about one is on the same side as safety do work closely with all parties, to disclose their occupation to their “So I would say for me, the CTA review, the Canadian and these are measures that have meaning the Transportation Safe- doctors and these physicians have personally, it’s about safety but Transportation Act review headed been asked for by communities ty Board, and Transport Canada an obligation to report to Transport I think equally important, but by David Emerson, with a really and measures that have been offi cials to move these things Canada if they have any concerns never trumps safety, is the future good panel of advisers across the asked for by railways as well too, along.” about a pilot’s ability to fl y a plane of transportation. And we’re country. They’re taking submis- so this makes a lot of sense. There safely. As well, pilots experience dealing with it in two ways. On sions and they’re talking about may be criticisms about us not You mention getting things out random fl ight checks by the depart- the safety side it really comes what the future of transportation going too far, which is what I’m the door. Can you provide a bit ment throughout their careers. from the department and it comes is. And that’s really important be- hearing from the NDP, but it’s not more detail on what these things Ms. Raitt, who represents from the government, so the cause our trade agenda complete- criticising what we’ve done so far, Halton, Ont., sat down with The work we’ve done on rail safety, ly depends on us getting goods so that’s a good piece, so I am op- Continued on page 31 7RGD\·VJOREDOHFRQRP\LVQRWMXVWGLJLWDO« «LW·VIUHLJKW$QGVKLSVFDUU\RYHUSHUFHQWRILW In Canada alone, millions of tonnes of imports and exports transit through ports. 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Today’s contribution to a cleaner better tomorrow. Water way to go! www.hwyH2O.com GO 22 THE HILL TIMES, MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 TRANSPORTATION POLICY BRIEFING LASER STRIKES Transport Canada data indicates rates of laser strikes continue to rise The aviation industry is 461 in 2013, and according to a review by in the Pacifi c region, and 12 in the northern When asked why he thought the gov- the Vancouver Sun, 501 in 2014. This is on and Prairie region. ernment would be interested in the public calling on the government average, a 40 per cent increase annually.