Established by the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, the mandate of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities is to examine the work of Transport Canada, Infrastructure Canada and their portfolio agencies and partners. The committee can study any aspect of the management and operations of these organisations, as well as any legislation, programs or policy areas administered by the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Infrastructure. The scope of issues related to transport, infrastructure and communities is quite broad and includes:

• federal programs and policies for air, rail, road and marine transportation;

• federal infrastructure funding such as the Gas Tax Fund and Investing in Canada Plan Bilateral Agreements;

• Crown corporations (e.g., VIA Rail Canada Inc., pilotage authorities and the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated), administrative tribunals and agencies (i.e., the Transportation Appeal Tribunal and the Canadian Transportation Agency), and shared governance organizations (e.g., port and airport authorities) within the Transport and Infrastructure ministers’ portfolios; and

• a range of issues affecting productivity and quality of life in Canadian cities and communities (e.g., traffic congestion and community infrastructure).

While many aspects of transportation, infrastructure and communities are exclusively the responsibility of the provinces, such as highways, public transit and municipal infrastructure, the federal government may have a role where it is perceived that the national interest is at stake.