Atlantic Ministers Object to Proposed Transportation Act Changes
TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--Atlantic Ministers Object to Proposed Transportation Act Changes
Atlantic ministers of transportation are objecting to some of the changes the federal government is proposing to the Canada Transportation Act.
The issue was discussed today, Sept. 18, during the annual meeting of the Atlantic Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety. In attendance at the meeting were Nova Scotia Transportation and Public Works Minister Ron Russell, New Brunswick Transportation Minister Paul Robichaud, and New Brunswick Public Safety Minister Wayne Steeves. Maine Transportation Commissioner David Cole also attended as well as officials from all four Atlantic provinces and the State of Maine.
The proposed changes would remove a key-principle from the act -- that transportation is key to regional economic development. The Atlantic ministers say the change would significantly alter the entire context of the act and the manner in which future decisions are made. The federal government uses the policy section of the act to develop and implement transportation policy.
"Transportation is a primary force for economic development in all regions of Canada," Mr. Russell said. "Investments in transportation make the economy more competitive and productive in the long run, and constitute one of the best ways that government can invest money in support of Canada's economic well being."
"Resource industries often form the cornerstone of smaller communities, with tourism and manufacturing also being major generators of income and employment for rural residents," said Mr. Robichaud. "Transportation infrastructure and services provide the essential lifeline ensuring access to the markets upon which all of these activities so strongly rely."
The ministers recently wrote to the federal government expressing their concerns about this issue.
"For less populated regions of the nation, transportation infrastructure and services take on an additional strategic dimension," wrote James Walsh, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Works, Services and Transportation. "Realization of new economic activity in rural areas is highly dependent on reasonable transportation access."
"Existing employment in rural areas can be jeopardized by weakened transportation infrastructure and restrict further growth by limiting the movement of people, goods and services to market which results in a higher cost to doing business," Prince Edward Island Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea said in the letter.
Trade corridors and border crossings are fundamental to Atlantic Canada's export-oriented economy. For example, New Brunswick is more export dependent than any other province in Canada. About 75 per cent of the province's gross domestic product is exported to the rest of Canada and the United States.
The ministers believe this obvious link between transportation and economic development must be recognized in the national transportation policy. In their letter, the ministers ask federal Transport Minister David Collenette to keep or strengthen the references in the act to the important contributions that transportation makes to regional and national economic development.
The ministers also point out that the proposed changes do not reflect the federal government's own vision of the future of transportation in Canada. Straight Ahead - A Vision for Transportation in Canada, was released by Mr. Collenette in February and makes many references to the importance of transportation to economic growth and development. The changes are also contrary to Partnering for the Future - A Transportation Vision for Canada, a document released by the provincial and territorial ministers of transportation in August 2002.
Economic development was first included in the national transportation policy with the support of provinces and industry in 1987 as part of the National Transportation Act. The federal government proposed removing economic development from the policy on Feb. 25, 2003, as part of Bill C-26, an Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and the Railway Safety Act, to enact the VIA Rail Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. The bill has received second reading and has been referred to the House of Commons' Standing Committee on Transport.
Ministers also want Ottawa to take steps to address major challenges facing the air industry. They said air service is fundamentally important to business and economic development in Atlantic Canada. Ministers called on the federal government to take immediate steps, including: improve air service to the United States and other countries; provide support to airports in the region; and reduce government-imposed costs in the form of taxes, fees and rents.
The ministers and the commissioner also discussed the importance of security and efficiencies at Maine-New Brunswick border crossings. The group agreed to continue to work together and with industry to promote and advocate for the necessary federal funding to enhance border crossings at both St. Stephen-Calais and Woodstock-Houlton.
Other topics of discussion during the meeting were Atlantic participation in the new federal Road Weather Information System funding program, trucking harmonization, regional co-operation, and various highway safety issues.