Evidence of meeting #73 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Natalie Jeanneault

12:30 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

It ends with “d'imposer un moratoire sur les projets d'énergie renouvelable”.

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

I'll read the motion as it would be amended by the proposed amendment, just to make sure we're on the same page.

12:30 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

Please do.

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

La motion would read “que, conformément à l'article 108(2), le Comité permanent de l'environnement et du développement durable invite Rich Kruger, PDG de Suncor, à expliquer pourquoi leurs entreprises abandonnent les objectifs climatiques qu'elles s'étaient fixés antérieurement face à l'urgence climatique malgré l'essor de l'industrie dans la province”.

12:30 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

Now I see what you were saying, Mr. Chair. You're right: it could be deleted to the end, including “malgré l'essor de l'industrie dans la province”.

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

So we would delete everything right up to the word “province”.

12:30 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

That's correct.

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Okay.

It's not complicated. We want to delete the passage after “l'urgence climatique” up to the semicolon. So we would delete the passage from “ainsi qu'à inviter” to “malgré l'essor de l'industrie dans la province”.

12:35 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

That's correct.

May I now move my proposed amendment?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Yes, you have the floor.

12:35 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

Mr. Bachrach's motion deals with two things: the oil and gas companies, which are not taking climate targets into account at all, and what happened in Alberta.

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

One moment, Ms. Pauzé. Mr. Mazier has a point of order.

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, can we have this in writing? Right now you're just jotting notes. Can we have this in writing so that we're all looking at the same thing and we all know what we're debating? Can we get this circulated, please?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

You know, it's....

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

I don't know; you had to do lots of doodling there. I think it's—

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

No, no. I struck out a whole phrase, that's all.

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Well, what was that phrase?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

I can read in English what we'd be striking out.

The motion is basically the same, except we've added the Alberta minister of energy and mines, the Honourable Brian Jean. We're all clear on that. There's no objection to that.

What Madame Pauzé is doing is that she wants to take out the reference to the Alberta Energy Regulator. Basically, in English it would end after “in the face of a climate emergency”, and then you'd have a semicolon. We'd be taking this out: “as well as invite the Alberta Energy Regulator in a separate meeting to explain the decision to place a moratorium on renewable energy projects despite the booming industry in the province”. All of that would be out.

The logic is that Madame Pauzé does not think we should be getting involved in a provincial jurisdiction. It's all pretty simple. I mean, I think everyone understands.

Is that correct, Ms. Pauzé?

12:35 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

Mr. Chair, you understood my thinking entirely.

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Perfect.

So you may continue to defend your proposed amendment.

12:35 p.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

I will go back to my argument.

You can take a ruler and strike out what I said. It doesn't change any other wording; it just deletes the passage.

What I find especially interesting about Mr. Bachrach's motion is the first part, which refers to the fact that the oil and gas companies, particularly North American ones like BP and Shell, are backtracking on their commitments, somewhat behind the scenes. All of a sudden, they no longer have their targets and they definitely haven't put in the effort needed to limit warming according to the plan set out in the Paris Agreement.

However, the other part of the motion concerns the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces, as well as their environmental sovereignty. That's why I voted earlier against calling the minister from Alberta.

I'm therefore moving this amendment that respects the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces.

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Would anyone else like to speak?

Mr. Mazier, you have the floor.

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

I completely agree with Madame Pauzé on that one. I think that's been the problem I've had with this all the way along. We're isolating the minister. I guess I would ask that this be stricken.

Again, I would move that we remove bringing in the natural resource minister.

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

We have to deal with Madame Pauzé's amendment. Then you can present an amendment.

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Okay.