Registration - In-house Organization

Subject Matters

• Agriculture
• Employment and Training
• Environment
• Industry
• Infrastructure
• Internal Trade
• Regional Development
• Science and Technology
• Taxation and Finance
• Transportation

Subject Matter Details

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• Delink the Income Tax Act from the regulatory reporting requirements set up under the Canada Transportation Act, by repealing Section 36 of the Income Tax Act
• Excise Tax Act (E-15) - Eliminate the federal fuel excise tax on locomotive diesel fuel in order to reduce transportation costs for Canadian shippers, contribute to Canada's environmental goals, and match the U.S. which abolished its federal excise tax on locomotive fuel on January 1, 2007.
• Seek amendments to Bill C-33, The Safer Railways Act, to ensure recommendations of the Railway Safety Act Panel, particularly sections 33, 34 & 35, are properly reflected in the Bill.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Regulation

• Income Tax Regulations - Increase the Capital Cost Allowance rate for all rail rolling stock to at least 30%. This rate should be applicable to railway companies, rail leasing companies and private car owners.

Policies or Program

• As a follow-up to yet to be released recommendations of the Rail Service Review launched in April, 2008, the RAC will advocate for the development of Rail level of service policies that do not have any negative impact on the existing competitive environment and will not distort the current regulatory regime (S. 113 to 116 CTA).
• Development of program for infrastructure support of shortline railways through public-private partnerships, and strengthen and accelerate funding for the development of rail and infrastructure within all identified trade gateways and corridors.
• Encourage government research investment in transportation field.
• Input to Environment Canada in the development of a potential biofuel policy and its application to the rail sector.
• Input to development by Environment Canada and Transport Canada of potential trading criteria applicable to the rail sector.
• Modifications to the way the Transportation Safety Board is collecting, reporting and analyzing rail incidents/accidents.
• Operation Lifesaver Program - Increase funding to program, particularly for work supporting education and awareness for crossing safety and trespass prevention.
• Seeking Transport Canada, involvement in developing and implementing new technologies for improving safety, particularly through setting up a funded multi-stakeholder research group.

Policies or Program, Regulation

• Working on template on how to develop a Railway Safety Management System that might eventually call for modification to these Regulations. Modifications to the Safety Management regulations and guidelines to improve employee involvement through health and safety committees.

Regulation

• At Transport Canada's request, working on potential new regulations on data collection under S. 50(1) of the Canada Transportation Act (1996, c10)
• In order to mitigate the impact of significantly higher contributions to federally regulated defined benefit (DB) pension plans in 2009, the federal government should permanently increase the solvency deficit period from five to ten years for all current and future solvency deficiencies, without conditions. Pension Benefits Standards Regulation 1985.SOR/87.9
• Modifications to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations to develop standards dealing with emergency response for dangerous goods and hazardous materials.
• Proximity - Modifications to the proposed Access Control regulations to cause municipalities to consult railways on land development or zoning issues adjacent to rail property.

Communication Techniques

• Written communication
• Oral communication
• Grass-roots communication

Government Institutions

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
• Canada Labour Relations Board (CLRB)
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA)
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
• Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA)
• Competition Tribunal (CT)
• Environment Canada
• Federal Office of Regional Development – Quebec (FORD[Q])
• Finance Canada (FIN)
• Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAITC)
• Grain Transportation Agency (GTA)
• Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission (HMIRC)
• Health Canada (HC)
• House of Commons
• Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
• Industry Canada
• Infrastructure Canada (INFC)
• Members of the House of Commons
• National Research Council (NRC)
• Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Privy Council Office (PCO)
• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC)
• Revenue Canada (RC)
• Senate of Canada
• Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC)
• Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB)
• Transport Canada (TC)
• Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
• Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)

Address:
901 - 99 BANK STREET
OTTAWA, ON  K1P 6B9
Canada

Telephone number: 613-564-8090
Fax number: 613-567-6726