Statement by the Minister of Transport in response to the 2016 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada

November 29, 2016 – Ottawa, ON – Transport Canada

Following the tabling of the 2016 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada covering the period of January 2010 to September 2016, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport issued the following statement:

“I welcome the Auditor General’s report, which examined Transport Canada’s activities in motor vehicle safety.

“Transport Canada’s safety requirements for vehicles, child seats, and tires are amongst the most stringent in the world.

“To further enhance the valuable work my department does for Canadians, we’re improving Transport Canada’s long-term and research planning, as well as how we develop regulations. This will allow us to maximize our safety efforts, while also providing faster and better service to Canadians.

“At the same time, my department is also working to improve its processes in motor vehicle data collection, stakeholder consultation, and the use of vehicles for compliance and research testing.

“In addition, I’m pleased that the Strengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act (S-2) continues to move through the legislative process. Once passed by Parliament, this new law will address and rectify several findings highlighted in the report.

“I’m pleased that the Auditor General found my department’s ability to identify vehicle safety defects to be appropriate and effective, and the Government of Canada continues to strengthen our transportation system, which is recognized worldwide as safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible.

“Our work began with Budget 2016, with investments of $7.3 million to increase inspection capacity and support the development of a regulatory framework for emerging technologies, such as automated vehicles, and $5.4 million to enhance testing capacity at the Motor Vehicle Test Centre in Blainville, Quebec.”

- The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

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