Speech (committee meeting)

{
    "time": "2023-11-01 20:35:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Christopher Hall (President and Chief Executive Officer, Shipping Federation of Canada)",
        "fr": "M. Christopher Hall (pr\u00e9sident et chef de la direction, F\u00e9d\u00e9ration maritime du Canada)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"8026863\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Thank you. It's a real pleasure to be here this evening.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026864\" data-originallang=\"en\">The Shipping Federation of Canada is a national association that represents the owners, operators and agents of the ocean ships that carry Canada's imports and exports to and from world markets.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026865\" data-originallang=\"en\"> We support the government's efforts to modernize Canada's marine transportation system, not only through Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C-33</a>, but also through several other legislative initiatives, including the marine sections of Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12540212\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-52/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Air Transportation Accountability Act and to amend the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act\">C-52</a>, and the amendments to the Canada Shipping Act and the Marine Liability Act, which came into effect this June. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026866\" data-originallang=\"en\">When viewed in conjunction with the recommendations of the national supply chain task force, these initiatives represent the most extensive transformation of Canada's marine transportation system in the last 25 years, and one that is long overdue, given the shocks, disruptions and challenges the system has experienced since then.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026867\" data-originallang=\"en\">As it relates to the Canada Marine Act, we note that Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C-33</a> provides updated language regarding the act's purpose, which now extends to managing marine infrastructure and services in a manner that maintains resiliency and safeguards national security, and for managing traffic, including moorings and anchorages, in order to promote supply chain efficiency.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026868\" data-originallang=\"en\">We view the references to \u201cresiliency\u201d and \u201cnational security\u201d as important additions that reflect the increasingly unpredictable nature of the environment in which our supply chains operate and the need for greater flexibility in responding to those challenges. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026869\" data-originallang=\"en\">Although we also support giving ports explicit authority to manage marine traffic, we would caution that this represents a very small piece in a much larger puzzle of solving efficiency challenges at ports such as Vancouver. Indeed, these challenges cannot be resolved without considering the broader context in which ships operate, and where factors such as rail and road infrastructure deficits, labour availability, labour stability, productivity challenges and rail performance issues, to name a few, all play a major role.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026870\" data-originallang=\"en\">Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C-33</a> also gives the minister new regulatory authority to compel users and port authorities to share information and data in support of marine traffic management. This represents an important first step in developing a national supply chain data and digitization strategy, as per the recommendations of the national supply chain task force.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026871\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, if this strategy is to be successful, it will be important to ensure that data-sharing commitments by stakeholders are based on incentives rather than penalties and that the strategy's primary focus is on connecting existing digital platforms rather than building new ones.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026872\" data-originallang=\"en\">In addition, government departments and agencies, particularly CBSA, must also be prepared to join the digitization effort, ideally by migrating to a maritime, single-window reporting model for collecting data from supply chain stakeholders. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026873\" data-originallang=\"en\">Finally, although we will not be making specific comments on the amendments that pertain to the governance and reporting requirements of the CPAs, we believe that these amendments will require additional scrutiny and consultation if they are to gain the level of buy-in from stakeholders that will be necessary for their successful implementation. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026874\" data-originallang=\"en\">Turning now to the proposed amendments to the Marine Transportation Security Act, we were pleased to see the addition of the new \u201cPurpose\u201d section, which articulates the act's overall objectives. However, we have concerns regarding the very broad criteria under which the minister may impose security-related measures, which essentially extends to any circumstance that creates the need to \u201cdeal with threats and reduce direct and indirect risks\u201d.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026875\" data-originallang=\"en\">Although we support the minister's enhanced ability to act quickly in response to threats or risks to the marine transportation system, the lack of specificity and details as to what qualifies as a threat or a risk makes it difficult to ascertain what constitutes a legitimate need for immediate action. This is important, because these broadly construed criteria serve as the trigger for the minister's ability to exercise the continuum of powers at his or her disposal under the act, which include not only the ability to make regulations, but also to issue interim orders, directions to vessels and emergency directions, which are outside of the normal regulatory process and the normal checks and balances that are accorded to it.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026876\" data-originallang=\"en\">Finally, as it relates to the Customs Act, we note that Bill <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C-33</a> proposes amendments regarding the time and manner in which goods are to be made available for examination and the need for goods to be examined in a secure area, etc. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026877\" data-originallang=\"en\"> This raises serious concerns as to whether CBSA has the necessary facilities, infrastructure and personnel for conducting cargo examinations, and whether it has the necessary funding to address the significant deficits that currently exist in these areas.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026878\" data-originallang=\"en\">This is a major and ongoing issue of concern in the marine mode, as it has been our experience that CBSA's current lack of resources not only impedes the efficient examination and movement of cargo but also hinders the development of new shipping services and market opportunities at ports across Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026879\" data-originallang=\"en\">This concludes my comments. Thank you very much. I'll take your questions.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"8026863\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je vous remercie. C'est un v\u00e9ritable plaisir d'\u00eatre ici ce soir.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026864\" data-originallang=\"en\">La F\u00e9d\u00e9ration maritime du Canada est une association nationale qui repr\u00e9sente les armateurs, les exploitants et les agents des navires oc\u00e9aniques qui transportent les marchandises import\u00e9es par le Canada ou export\u00e9es vers les march\u00e9s mondiaux.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026865\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous appuyons les efforts du gouvernement visant la modernisation du syst\u00e8me de transport maritime du Canada, non seulement par l'interm\u00e9diaire du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C\u201133</a>, mais aussi par l'interm\u00e9diaire de plusieurs autres initiatives l\u00e9gislatives, notamment les dispositions du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12540212\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-52/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Air Transportation Accountability Act and to amend the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act\">C\u201152</a> sur le transport maritime et les modifications apport\u00e9es \u00e0 la Loi sur la marine marchande du Canada et \u00e0 la Loi sur la responsabilit\u00e9 en mati\u00e8re maritime, qui sont entr\u00e9es en vigueur en juin dernier.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026866\" data-originallang=\"en\">En conjonction avec les recommandations du Groupe de travail national sur la cha\u00eene d'approvisionnement, ces initiatives repr\u00e9sentent la plus importante transformation du syst\u00e8me de transport maritime du Canada en 25 ans, transformation qui s'imposait depuis longtemps, \u00e9tant donn\u00e9 les chocs, perturbations et d\u00e9fis auxquels le syst\u00e8me a \u00e9t\u00e9 confront\u00e9 durant cette p\u00e9riode.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026867\" data-originallang=\"en\">Concernant la Loi maritime du Canada, nous constatons que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C\u201133</a> comprend une mise \u00e0 jour de l'objet de la Loi, qui s'\u00e9tend maintenant \u00e0 la gestion de l'infrastructure maritime et des services, de mani\u00e8re \u00e0 assurer la r\u00e9silience et \u00e0 prot\u00e9ger la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale, et \u00e0 la gestion du trafic, y compris l'amarrage et le mouillage, afin de promouvoir l'efficacit\u00e9 de la cha\u00eene d'approvisionnement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026868\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous sommes d'avis que les r\u00e9f\u00e9rences \u00e0 la \u00ab r\u00e9silience \u00bb et \u00e0 la \u00ab s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale \u00bb sont des ajouts importants qui refl\u00e8tent la nature de plus en plus impr\u00e9visible de l'environnement dans lequel nos cha\u00eenes d'approvisionnement fonctionnent et la n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 d'une souplesse accrue pour composer avec ces d\u00e9fis.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026869\" data-originallang=\"en\">Bien que nous appuyions l'id\u00e9e d'accorder aux ports le pouvoir explicite de g\u00e9rer le trafic maritime, nous tenons \u00e0 souligner que ce n'est qu'une infime partie d'un ensemble beaucoup plus vaste si l'on veut r\u00e9gler les probl\u00e8mes d'efficacit\u00e9 dans certains ports comme celui de Vancouver. En effet, ces probl\u00e8mes ne peuvent \u00eatre r\u00e9gl\u00e9s sans tenir compte du contexte g\u00e9n\u00e9ral dans lequel les navires sont exploit\u00e9s, o\u00f9 des facteurs comme les lacunes des infrastructures ferroviaire et routi\u00e8re, la disponibilit\u00e9 et la stabilit\u00e9 de la main-d'\u0153uvre, les probl\u00e8mes de productivit\u00e9 et les probl\u00e8mes de rendement dans le secteur ferroviaire, par exemple, ont tous une incidence consid\u00e9rable.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026870\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C\u201133</a> donne \u00e9galement au ministre un nouveau pouvoir r\u00e9glementaire d'obliger les utilisateurs et les autorit\u00e9s portuaires \u00e0 communiquer des renseignements et des donn\u00e9es pour appuyer la gestion du trafic maritime. Cela repr\u00e9sente une premi\u00e8re \u00e9tape importante dans l'\u00e9laboration d'une strat\u00e9gie nationale en mati\u00e8re de num\u00e9risation et de donn\u00e9es pour la cha\u00eene d'approvisionnement, conform\u00e9ment aux recommandations du Groupe de travail national sur la cha\u00eene d'approvisionnement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026871\" data-originallang=\"en\">Toutefois, pour assurer le succ\u00e8s de cette strat\u00e9gie, il sera important de veiller \u00e0 ce que les engagements des intervenants en mati\u00e8re d'\u00e9change de donn\u00e9es soient fond\u00e9s sur des mesures incitatives plut\u00f4t que sur des p\u00e9nalit\u00e9s, et que la strat\u00e9gie soit principalement ax\u00e9e sur la connexion des plateformes num\u00e9riques existantes et non la cr\u00e9ation de nouvelles plateformes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026872\" data-originallang=\"en\">En outre, les minist\u00e8res et organismes gouvernementaux, en particulier l'ASFC, doivent aussi \u00eatre pr\u00eats \u00e0 participer \u00e0 l'effort de num\u00e9risation, id\u00e9alement en migrant vers un mod\u00e8le de d\u00e9claration maritime \u00e0 guichet unique pour la collecte de donn\u00e9es aupr\u00e8s des intervenants de la cha\u00eene d'approvisionnement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026873\" data-originallang=\"en\">Enfin, m\u00eame si nous ne ferons aucun commentaire pr\u00e9cis sur les modifications qui concernent la gouvernance et les exigences en mati\u00e8re de rapport des administrations portuaires, nous sommes d'avis que ces modifications devront faire l'objet d'un examen et de consultations suppl\u00e9mentaires pour obtenir le niveau d'adh\u00e9sion des intervenants requis pour assurer leur mise en \u0153uvre r\u00e9ussie.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026874\" data-originallang=\"en\">Pour ce qui est des amendements propos\u00e9s \u00e0 la Loi sur la s\u00fbret\u00e9 du transport maritime, nous nous r\u00e9jouissons de l'ajout d'une nouvelle section intitul\u00e9e \u00ab Objet \u00bb dans laquelle sont \u00e9nonc\u00e9s les objectifs g\u00e9n\u00e9raux de la Loi. Cependant, nous sommes pr\u00e9occup\u00e9s par les crit\u00e8res tr\u00e8s larges en vertu desquels le ministre peut imposer des mesures li\u00e9es \u00e0 la s\u00e9curit\u00e9, ce qui s'\u00e9tend essentiellement \u00e0 toute situation qui oblige \u00e0 \u00ab parer aux menaces et \u00e0 r\u00e9duire les risques \u2014 directs ou indirects \u2014 \u00bb.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026875\" data-originallang=\"en\">M\u00eame si nous appuyons la capacit\u00e9 accrue du ministre d'agir rapidement pour parer \u00e0 une menace ou \u00e0 un risque pour la s\u00fbret\u00e9 du transport maritime, le manque de pr\u00e9cision et de d\u00e9tails sur la d\u00e9finition de menace ou de risque rend difficile l'\u00e9valuation de ce qui constitue un besoin l\u00e9gitime de prendre des mesures imm\u00e9diates. C'est important, car ces crit\u00e8res plut\u00f4t vagues servent de d\u00e9clencheur quant \u00e0 la capacit\u00e9 du ministre d'exercer l'ensemble des pouvoirs que lui conf\u00e8re la Loi, ce qui comprend non seulement le pouvoir de prendre des r\u00e8glements, mais aussi le pouvoir de rendre des arr\u00eat\u00e9s d'urgence, des ordres aux b\u00e2timents et des directives d'urgence, qui sont en dehors du processus r\u00e9glementaire habituel et des mesures de contr\u00f4les habituelles qui y sont associ\u00e9es.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026876\" data-originallang=\"en\">Enfin, en ce qui concerne la Loi sur les douanes, nous constatons que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"12062671\" href=\"/bills/44-1/C-33/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Customs Act, the Railway Safety Act, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, the Marine Transportation Security Act, the Canada Transportation Act and the Canada Marine Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act\">C\u201133</a> propose des modifications concernant le moment et les modalit\u00e9s de la mise \u00e0 disposition des marchandises aux fins d'examen et la n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 que ces examens aient lieu en zone s\u00e9curis\u00e9e, etc.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026877\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cela soul\u00e8ve de graves pr\u00e9occupations quant \u00e0 savoir si l'ASFC a les installations, l'infrastructure et le personnel n\u00e9cessaires pour effectuer les examens du fret, et si elle a le financement n\u00e9cessaire pour r\u00e9sorber les importants d\u00e9ficits actuels dans ces secteurs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026878\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est une pr\u00e9occupation importante et r\u00e9currente dans le secteur du transport maritime, car nous savons d'exp\u00e9rience que le manque actuel de ressources de l'ASFC entrave non seulement l'efficacit\u00e9 de l'examen et du mouvement des marchandises, mais aussi le d\u00e9veloppement de nouveaux services d'exp\u00e9dition et de nouveaux d\u00e9bouch\u00e9s commerciaux dans les ports partout au Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"8026879\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cela conclut ma d\u00e9claration. Merci beaucoup. Je suis pr\u00eat \u00e0 r\u00e9pondre \u00e0 vos questions.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/committees/transport/44-1/86/christopher-hall-1/",
    "politician_url": null,
    "politician_membership_url": null,
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "12414372",
    "document_url": "/committees/transport/44-1/86/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Ftransport%2F44-1%2F86%2F"
    }
}