Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Transport and Communications

Issue 10 - Minutes of Proceedings

OTTAWA, Tuesday, March 31, 1998

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The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications met at 4:05 p.m. this day in Room 256-S, the Chairman, the Honourable Lise Bacon, presiding.

Members of the committee present: The Honourable Senators Adams, Bacon, Bryden, Johnson, Johnstone, Perrault, P.C., Poulin and Roberge (8).

In attendance: Martin Brennan, Special Advisor to the Committee.

Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate

Pursuant to the Order of Reference adopted by the Senate on October 21,1997, the committee continued its consideration of Bill S-2, an Act to amend the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and to make a consequential amendment to another act (see Issue No. 1, Thursday, October 23, 1997 for full text of Order of Reference).

WITNESS:

From the Transportation Safety Board of Canada:

Mr. Ken Johnson, Executive Director.

It was agreed -- That the committee complete clause-by-clause consideration of Bill S-2.

It was agreed -- That clauses 1 and 2 carry.

It was moved by the Honourable Senator Roberge -- That Bill S-2 be amended in Clause 3, on page 2, by replacing line 20 with the following:

"consisting of not more than five members appointed by the Governor in Council, at least four of whom shall be full-time members."

Mr. Johnson was called to the table and answered questions.

After debate, it was agreed to withdraw the amendment.

It was moved by the Honourable Senator Roberge -- That Bill S-2 be amended in Clause 3, on page 2, by replacing line 20 with the following:

"consisting of not more than five members appointed by the Governor in Council, at least three of whom shall be full-time members."

After debate, it was agreed -- That clause 3, as amended, carry. It was agreed -- That clauses 4 to 16 carry.

It was moved by the Honourable Senator Bryden -- That Bill S-2 be amended in clause 17 on page 9 by replacing line 5 with the following:

"(i) the flight deck of an aircraft or a control facility for aviation operations,"

and

by replacing line 16 with the following:

"craft or a control facility for aviation operations, on the bridge or in a control room of the".

After debate, it was agreed -- t=That clause 17, as amended, carry.

It was moved by the Honourable Senator Perrault -- That Bill S-2 be amended by adding after section 28 page 13, a new clause to be known as 28.1.

"28.1 For the purpose of any legal, disciplinary or other proceeding that is commenced prior to, on or after the coming into force of this Act, sections 32 and 33 of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, as they read immediately before the coming into force of this Act, continue to apply in respect of a transportation occurrence, as that expression was defined in section 2 of the Act immediately before the coming into force of this Act.".

After debate, it was agreed -- That clauses 18 to 29, as amended carry. It was agreed -- That the preamble carry. It was agreed -- That the Title carry. It was agreed -- That Bill S-2, as amended, carry. It was agreed -- That the following observations be added to the report.

The committee heard from Chairman Jim Hall of the United States National Transportation Safety Board. In his testimony he explained that one of the shortcomings they faced during his mandate was the lack of coordination and support for the family of an aviation disaster. Congress responded by passing legislation in 1996, the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act, giving their board the responsibility to address the needs of families of passengers involved in aircraft accidents.

Your committee feels that the situation in Canada should be assessed and that the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act undertake a study to identify any shortcomings in the matter of the provision of post-accident counselling and facilitation to the family and close friends of Canadians killed in major transportation accidents with a view to determining what measures, if any, may be necessary to alleviate those shortcomings.

Also, the committee feels that the expertise of the board could be valuable on major highway accidents and that the board should explore means by which it might co-operate more extensively with other federal and provincial agencies with a view to determining whether or not it might play a greater role in the investigation of some of the more serious highway accidents in Canada.

It was agreed -- That Bill S-2 be reported to the senate, as amended, with observations.

At 4:25 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

ATTEST:

Michel Patrice

Clerk of the Committee