Finance Committee on Nov. 21st, 2013

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

I'm not saying that's the preferred answer.

[Michael Atkinson]

I know that the government is working with the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship to try to harmonize apprenticeship much better across provinces, which is great news from our perspective. I also know that the labour and mobility provisions in the Agreement on Internal Trade were amended. If you're certified in a trade in one province, that should be good enough now right across the country, regardless of whether you are Red Seal certified or not.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you, Mr. Keddy.

Next is Mr. Rankin, please.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome to all of our witnesses. Bienvenue.

I want to pose a couple of questions to Mr. Ferguson of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

About a year ago now, I ran in a byelection in Victoria. I suppose the principal plank of my platform was an opposition to the Enbridge northern gateway project, for which I found literally zero support in our community.

My question is directed at you.

I was at a rally in Vancouver at which there were a couple of thousand people last weekend. It was one of 130 rallies across the country opposing this project among others. One thing that someone said struck me as poignant. They said, "The cabinet may give the permits, but the population gives the permission."

My question for you is, if Enbridge were to continue in the face of opposition by both non-aboriginal and aboriginal Canadians, would CAPP support that position, if they got the permit from the regulator?

[Alex Ferguson]

That's a difficult thing to answer for a specific company.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I'm asking you about CAPP's position were Enbridge to say that they were going to go ahead because they had obtained the permits, in the face of the kind of opposition that you must know exists in my part of the world.

[Alex Ferguson]

I think we would support proceeding, given that we would fully expect not only the industry but the project proponent itself to carry through with whatever requirements are put in place to try to increase their social licence.

Will it get through the permit process? We haven't really speculated through that process yet; we're waiting to see the outcome of it. There is a growing need certainly to increase a level of support hopefully for market access not just for one specific project but for projects across Canada.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I certainly don't see it in my part of the world; I assure you.

In your brief you say, “Bills C-38 and C-45 work to improve regulatory efficiency” and “responsible environmental” performance.

Those were the bills that gutted the Fisheries Act and repealed the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and replaced it with a very pale imitation of the statute that was repealed.

What are you proposing when you say that the full benefits require “effective and efficient...regulations and policy” that are “implemented on an aligned 'whole of government' and timely basis”?

Can you explain what you mean by that?

[Alex Ferguson]

Certainly.

First of all, we look at the changes to some of that legislation and we see continued good environmental performance.

There are some process changes that we believe took place in those two acts. We're very supportive of the new Fisheries Act, for example, because we think it points to a really good, focused vehicle to get on with what we should be doing with fisheries, values.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I would agree with you that it's a good, focused vehicle, not for environmental protection surely, but rather for development at all costs.

[Alex Ferguson]

That's certainly not our view.

One issue that we see in the Fisheries Act, though, and I'm alluding to the second part of your question, is that it's a piece of legislation that doesn't have a lot of regulation written yet. For it to be an effective piece of work, we would like to see the regulations come out. They are starting to come out now. I think those will be the true telling of just what effect they will have on either process or environmental protections.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Last year, the International Centre for Climate Governance reported that Luxembourg and Canada were “the farthest from the emission levels they agreed to keep, by 29% and 27% respectively”. Canada was the 38th worst performer out of 39 among countries on climate change commitment. Places such as Taiwan have grown their economy while at the same time cutting their emissions.

My question for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers is, do you have a climate policy and what is it?

[Alex Ferguson]

Certainly we've advocated and structured our position on greenhouse gas emissions policy for Canada around three key areas.

The first is to keep an eye on the competitiveness piece for the sector. The second is accepting and being responsive to the social licence issues related to that. The third, a key underpinning, is reliance on technology and innovation as a key vehicle with respect to our reductions. You have seen the numbers on oil sands reductions over time. They have been pretty significant. We're looking at continuing that work through the results of what Canada will come out with in terms of a GHG policy. We believe that a snapshot in time is probably not the best vehicle to look at, certainly in our industry's performance.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Rankin.

The final round will go to Mr. Van Kesteren, please.

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

Thank you all for coming this morning. I'm so glad I got the final questions.

You know you're getting old when you start to refer to the younger generation, and I do that often. Sometimes I lament, as most older people do; they think things were so much better....

But I have to tell you, my spirits have been revived. I see a phoenix rising from the ashes when I see the young people here today. I hear what they're saying.

I mean this with all sincerity, when I see your passion and the vision that you have, because I believe it's absolutely correct.

I'm going to be fair. Forgive me, gentlemen, but I want to focus on the four here this morning.

Maybe I'll go through a few of the policies. We know already that you support the elimination of our deficit. I'm hearing from you that we need to start to chip away at or pay down our national debt.

Regarding the lowering of corporate taxes, do you all agree that this is...?

I'm seeing nods. Could I just hear “Amen” or “Yes, sir”, or something along those lines from each one of you?

Would you agree, Martin, that the lowering of corporate tax is on the correct path?

[Martin Lavoie]

Yes.

[A voice]

Definitely.

[Norma Kozhaya]

Absolutely.

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

Would you agree, Julie, that the continuation of opening up new markets—we talked a little bit about the EU, but also about the situation to the south of us, the American one—is going in the right direction?

[Julie Labrecque]

Sure.

[Martin Lavoie]

Yes.

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

Jayson and Norman?

I'm going to go out on a limb. I want to ask you, and you can be honest, but please don't take too much time, because there's another question that I also want to introduce, are there areas in which we are moving in the wrong direction?

It's not a loaded question. Hit me. We need to know if there are things that you think are incorrect. Speak to me as young people with your whole lives ahead of you, your future ahead of you.

Julie, perhaps I could start with you.

[Julie Labrecque]

I want to emphasize that the new generation should be encouraged to innovate and be provided with the tools they need to do so. It's nice to see young entrepreneurs investing, trying to build their own company or taking over a family company, but if we do not help them or ensure that companies across the country remain in Canadian hands, the initiative will not be successful.

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

Succession planning needs to be addressed?

[Julie Labrecque]

Yes.