Minister’s Message

As Minister of Transport, I am pleased to present Transport Canada’s Report on Plans and Priorities for 2016–17. The report outlines the Department’s commitment to a transportation system that is safe, secure, sustainable and efficient in advancing Canada’s economic growth.

The Department plays a leadership role in creating, monitoring and enforcing regulations and legislation to protect communities, individuals and the environment from harm, and the transportation system from threats. It pursues actions with stakeholders to strengthen safety and security, and to address environmental and human health issues, such as air emissions and water pollution.

A safe and reliable transportation system is critical to the prosperity of Canada by ensuring that goods and commodities are moved safely, efficiently and in an environmentally responsible way to reach internal and external trading partners. It also plays a key role in moving passengers to and from destinations, connecting people and places, both at home and abroad.

Transport Canada, in collaboration with key stakeholders, will accelerate the modernization of safety and security oversight for all modes of transportation and propose measures to strengthen rail and marine safety. In addition, the Department will advance initiatives to promote an environmentally responsible transportation system, including an approach to formalizing a moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic, and a review of the Navigation Protection ActEndnote to restore lost protections and incorporate modern safeguards.

Finally, we will develop long-term strategies to improve Canada’s transportation sector and infrastructure, taking into account the recommendations of the Canada Transportation ActEndnote Review Panel. Specifically, the Department will undertake a full review of the Canadian grain transportation system, support the development of a strategy to promote public transit infrastructure and green infrastructure, and support investment in Canada’s transportation corridors and border gateways.

This 2016–17 Report on Plans and Priorities of Transport Canada provides information on how the department will support the Government on achieving our agenda in the coming year and I am fully confident that the Department is prepared to successfully support me and work with our partners inside and outside government to deliver for Canadians. However, given our commitment to more effective reporting, this year’s report will be the final submission using the existing reporting framework.

The Prime Minister and the President of the Treasury Board are working to develop new, simplified and more effective reporting processes that will better allow Parliament and Canadians to monitor our Government’s progress on delivering real change to Canadians. In the future, Transport Canada’s reports to Parliament will focus more transparently on how we are using our resources to fulfill our commitments and achieve results for Canadians.

These new reporting mechanisms will allow Canadians to more easily follow our Department’s progress towards delivering on our priorities, which were outlined in the Prime Minister’s mandate letterEndnote to me.

The Honourable Marc Garneau, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Transport