Transport committee  If I could add one more thing, it comes down to the Transportation Safety Board. Why do we have them if their recommendations aren't going to be implemented? Kathy Fox testified in front of you in February. In all modes, the recommendations that are made to Transport Canada by the Transportation Safety Board aren't being implemented.

Transport committee  I'm going to defer to my political adviser, Mike Martin, to answer that.

Transport committee  Safety management systems are meant to be an additional layer of safety. They're supposed to be an additional layer as a tool for our inspectors to have in their tool box. Transport Canada is not applying them that way; it is making them the main focus of monitoring safety. For years now, we've been calling on Transport to do a review of the safety management systems.

Transport committee  Yes.

Transport committee  I'm going to give you an example of when I was with Transport Canada in the civil aviation world. I looked after their operating certificates, mainly the same as with rail. When our inspectors used to go out and do these inspections, that's when they would catch, or find, issues with the companies' safety programs.

Transport committee  Okay.

Transport committee  Thank you.

Transport committee  The most important multimodal principles that should be made available in Canada are whistle-blowing protections enshrined in law.

Transport committee  All right. Thank you very much. The most important multimodal principles that should be made available within Canada are whistle-blowing protections enshrined in law, such as those that exist in the U.S., with an independent office established for these protections. The highest level of safety benchmarking should be required and written into transport safety law regulation guidelines and policies.

Transport committee  Okay. That should be unacceptable to this committee. Safety should be everybody's number one priority. On behalf of the members of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, thank you for the opportunity to weigh in on this important matter. We remain committed to ensuring that Canada has the best safety standards in the world.

Transport committee  Thank you. The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, UCTE, is a national union representing federal inspectors who review all modes of transportation, including rail, as well as those who inspect the transportation of dangerous goods. UCTE has long been a proponent of stronger safety measures in the transportation of goods and people in Canada, regardless of the method.