Ottawa, Ontario
April 30, 2012
Check against delivery
Thank you for that introduction.
Let me begin by paying tribute to the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in North America.
This annual conference has come to be recognized as a key forum for exploring the major issues faced by the transportation sector.
I am pleased to participate in this conference on behalf of the the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities who is on his way to attend the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany.
As you know, I am Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, or SCOTIC as it is also known.
SCOTIC is one of 26 permanent House of Commons committees. Its mandate includes all areas covered by the Transport, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio.
In particular, the Committee is responsible for the study of transportation legislation and specific issues of importance to Canada's transportation system.
Since the 41st Parliament was convened, the Committee has been active in studying a number of critical transportation issues. Recently, the Committee launched a major study on innovative transportation technologies.
This study comes at an important time when we look at the challenges facing the transportation sector, because innovation is a crucial element to ensure that we have a modern, efficient and reliable transportation system in the years ahead.
Transportation has always been identified with opportunity in Canada – connecting the country from coast to coast to coast; connecting workers with jobs, travelers with destinations, and products with markets.
It is a key pillar of Canada's economy that supports productivity, job creation and growth.
In the past, productivity in Canada's transportation sector has often outpaced economy-wide gains, resulting in lower costs for users and increased efficiencies. However, this positive gap has been declining in recent years, with productivity gains in the sector either reaching a plateau or decreasing. At the same time, competitive pressures on the system are escalating.
This begs the question: Can Canadian industry do more? Are the various transportation modes keeping pace and, if not, what more can be done to encourage growth and a new generation of best practices?
These are the types of questions that my colleagues and I from SCOTIC are asking. We are working to develop a better understanding of the role that innovation and technology can play in renewing productivity gains within the sector.
Encouraging greater uptake of advanced technologies that enable operators to integrate and optimize the system is a big part of ensuring that Canada's transportation system is state-of-the-art. This includes focusing on the efficiency and security of supply chains and border crossings, as well as looking at ways to use technology to address congestion problems at ports.
This raises the question of how the next generation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies could assist, particularly as related to wireless communications and connectivity.
ITS enables people, products, information and ideas to move from place to place more quickly, cost-effectively, and safely.
From road information systems that provide weather updates and pavement condition data ...
... to commercial vehicle inspection programs that automatically weigh and classify cargo trucks at highway speeds ...
... to better data on trade flows and traffic congestion ...
... we are already seeing the benefits of ITS in Canada.
We know that economies that capitalize on these technologies by promoting early adoption in their transportation systems and supply chains will reap significant competitiveness benefits.
But to unlock the true potential of these technologies, critical barriers need to be identified and removed. This will require better cooperation across jurisdictions and transportation modes to build a solid foundation of policy and standards.
The good news is that our government is already applying unique approaches to address these challenges.
Transport Canada's work on "Smart Corridors" is an excellent example of how we are moving forward.
Building on our achievements to date with our Gateways and Trade Corridors strategies, the Smart-Corridors approach takes an integrated view, tying together transportation assets in our gateways and corridors — roads, public transportation systems, marine terminals, airports, borders — using advanced technologies to drive system-wide efficiencies for the movement of international trade.
As you know, international trade is a top priority for our government.
Over the past decade, together with provincial and territorial partners, we have committed over four billion dollars for border-related infrastructure improvements.
In December, 2011, Prime Minister Harper and President Obama announced the Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness.
Innovation and the use of new technologies will be vital to the Action Plan's success. For instance, Transport Canada is working with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and the Canadian and U.S. customs agencies to deploy border wait time technology. Such systems help drivers choose the crossing with the least congestion, thereby increasing overall border flows by balancing traffic volumes between available crossings.
Whether it's working with the United States, other key trading partners, or stakeholders within Canada, the approach to innovation depends upon strong partnerships and collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries.
This focus on innovation is not only relevant to the transportation sector; it must also guide decisions and directions on how to foster growth in Canada's economy as a whole.
In March of this year, our government tabled Canada's Economic Action Plan 2012. The focus of this Plan is to reduce the deficit and return to balanced budgets through fiscal restraint and cost savings measures, while supporting job creation and economic growth across the country.
Our plan contains important provisions to support innovation in Canada. These provisions reflect a new approach that focuses resources on the needs of the private sector, including changes aimed at simplifying the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit system and creating large-scale venture capital funds, all in the interest of boosting innovation in Canada's economy.
These measures advance our commitment to strengthening Canada's economic position as it emerges from the global recession.
And let there be no doubt: Canada has recovered better than most other industrialized countries. Thanks to our government's strong leadership, we have not only recuperated all the jobs lost during the recession, we also added almost 700,000 more jobs on top of that — a record that makes us the envy of the G-7.
However, we live in a world where trends and circumstances are changing rapidly. We stand at a critical point as we face new challenges, both nationally and globally.
Responding to these challenges will require Canadians to continue innovating, including within the transportation sector. We must continue to work together to stay ahead of the curve.
Ladies and gentlemen, whether it's through CILTNA, SCOTIC or other key transportation organizations, it's imperative that we continue to provide quality advice to our government on how to support long-term economic growth and prosperity through a strong transportation sector.
It is in all of our interests to have a transportation system that not only meets the needs of today, but also enables future economic growth and positions Canada more competitively on the world stage.
Our government looks forward to working with all of you to seize that potential.
Thank you.