Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Committee on Dec. 8th, 2011
Evidence of meeting #19 for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was first.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Marion Lefebvre Vice-President, Aboriginal Governance, Institute on Governance
- Laura Edgar Vice-President, Partnerships and International Programming, Institute on Governance
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
11:50 a.m.
NDP
Linda Duncan Edmonton—Strathcona, AB
I think you mentioned this, but there is potential for each first nation to develop and enact its own rules—if they have a first nation final agreement and they opt into the land management act system. Isn't there a potential problem in capacity, and then you don't have national consistency for every first nation?
11:55 a.m.
Vice-President, Aboriginal Governance, Institute on Governance
I think you're aware that those agreements generally, like this legislation, require adherence with the broader regulation as the baseline for—
11:55 a.m.
NDP
11:55 a.m.
Vice-President, Aboriginal Governance, Institute on Governance
Usually those agreements, for example, in provinces will at that juncture be applicable to the prevailing provincial legislation. You're absolutely right. It doesn't provide for the opportunity of uniformity. It only provides for, at this point, comparability or above, based on the legislation the signatory to the treaty chooses to exercise. It does not guarantee uniformity between these various administrations.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
December 8th, 2011 / 11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to go back quickly to something people have been discussing a little bit today under the FNLM regime. You talked about it in your paper, and I was actually able to find it online. You talked about EMAs, and they seem to be a large impediment. Maybe I'm just not understanding what you're saying. What do you propose would be the replacement to EMAs under the FNLM regime?
11:55 a.m.
Vice-President, Partnerships and International Programming, Institute on Governance
I'm not sure I actually have a proposal.
When we did this paper, we were not looking at the administration of the act and its process. We were looking, again, at the regulatory options for first nations as they move forward. So I'm not sure I have an option for you there.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
You do talk about certain other approaches to the environmental regulations, and you talk about the regulatory gap. Is there any analysis at all on what the cost would be if the federal government tried to step in and fill those gaps?
11:55 a.m.
Vice-President, Partnerships and International Programming, Institute on Governance
No. Our paper did look at some of the costs of implementing a comparable provincial regime, in terms of the cost to have an inspector, how many—I think it was about 60% more in support staff to support that inspector—and those kinds of things. We did look at the huge cost of the inspection and enforcement options of it, but we didn't look at it in terms of how it would play out across the country.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
What were some of the costs, then, when you looked at it on the provincial scale?
11:55 a.m.
Vice-President, Partnerships and International Programming, Institute on Governance
For example, in Ontario—and this is, again, four years ago—the salary level for inspectors ranged from $63,000 to $75,000 annually, with benefits on the top. Saskatchewan's range was similar at $59,000 to $72,000. Then there were the travel costs associated with inspections. They varied from $500 per inspection to $1,500 for a fly-in community. So the costs associated are not inconsiderable. And that was with one particular function.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
11:55 a.m.
Vice-President, Partnerships and International Programming, Institute on Governance
That was water, in Ontario only. Because of the expertise required, these are not inexpensive positions to fill and to support.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
You say in your paper as well that there's some disagreement as to whether provincial laws related to land use can be applied on reserve. I take it that has some constitutional and other legislative hurdles. Can you expand any further on that?