Environment Committee on May 1st, 2012
Evidence of meeting #32 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was environmental.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Ron Bonnett President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
- Doug Chorney President, Keystone Agricultural Producers
- Judy Fairburn Chair, Shareholder Steering Committee, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
- Alan Fair Interim Director, Tailing Environmental Priority Area, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
5:05 p.m.
Chair, Shareholder Steering Committee, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
That's a discussion that has been held with Dr. Wicklum and others, so it's not something I'm really able to comment on as the chair of the strategy committee.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Etobicoke North, ON
That's fine.
What practical changes do you expect to be made as a result of your organization?
5:05 p.m.
Chair, Shareholder Steering Committee, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
That's a great, broad question, and we've formed this organization because we really want to accelerate.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Etobicoke North, ON
Okay, let me bring the question again. For example, you've mentioned water and greenhouse gases. You said there are four priority areas, and I don't think we've heard them. So what are the specific goals in each of those areas?
5:10 p.m.
Chair, Shareholder Steering Committee, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
The four priority areas are tailings, as Alan referred to, water, greenhouse gases, and land. We recognize that those are four areas that matter to Canadians, and they're our priorities.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:10 p.m.
Chair, Shareholder Steering Committee, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
By the end of 2012 we will have rolled in the existing organizations. We will also have developed our strategic plans and goals. So we're on the journey right now to developing those goals.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
5:10 p.m.
Chair, Shareholder Steering Committee, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
We're actively working across all the companies towards getting the best inputs. So we've set informed goals, yes.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Etobicoke North, ON
Okay. We know there's going to be a new water monitoring program. There have been concerns that this is not going to be an independent body. Since you are a science-based organization, will you be asking that this be an independent body?
5:10 p.m.
Chair, Shareholder Steering Committee, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
Just to reiterate, COSIA is an innovation and science organization, so we're not involved in policy and advocacy.
May 1st, 2012 / 5:10 p.m.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Etobicoke North, ON
Okay.
I appreciate that you believe the environment and the economy are inextricably tied, as do we. There's been much change in the last week. With the budget implementation bill we have cuts to scientists, 200 scientists; we have the repeal of CEA; there are major changes to fisheries. The reality is about 120 pages of the budget are devoted to “environmental streamlining”. I'll use the terminology that's used here.
Have you ever seen this before?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Calgary Centre-North, AB
I would ask my colleague to keep her comments relevant to the scope of this discussion today and to the outcome of positive environmental outcomes as a result of the Canadian Oilsands Innovation Alliance.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Mark Warawa
Okay. We have a point of order, and you wanted to speak to the point of order.