Evidence of meeting #12 for Natural Resources in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendments.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jeff Labonté  Director General, Energy Safety and Security Branch, Department of Natural Resources
Samuel Millar  Senior Director, Frontier Lands Management Division, Petroleum Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources
Brenda Baxter  Acting Director General, Workplace Directorate, Labour Program, Department of Employment and Social Development
Anne-Marie Fortin  Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Department of Natural Resources

10 a.m.

Director General, Energy Safety and Security Branch, Department of Natural Resources

Jeff Labonté

Perhaps....

10 a.m.

Liberal

Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS

It's changing it to say not just civil but also administrative. The difficulty, of course, is that it talks in part of how no person can testify without the written permission of the minister. That's the essence of the provision.

10 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

That's what the provision has done. That's the essence of the provision.

10 a.m.

Liberal

Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS

The thing is it used to just say civil, which apparently meant that with her permission they could give testimony in civil actions, but she couldn't even give permission for them to give testimony in administrative actions, and now under this she could.

10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Right. Exactly it's an expansion.

Go ahead, Ms. Baxter.

10:05 a.m.

Acting Director General, Workplace Directorate, Labour Program, Department of Employment and Social Development

Brenda Baxter

We're talking protections to the minister as well, specifying that she'll not be required to give testimony in suit except with respect to provisions of the code or where they are subject to an agreement under certain provisions of the code. Those portions currently exist within the code. Again, it's changing the description from just civil to administrative.

The ability to make representation and the protections provided to the minister currently exist, but just for civil proceedings. This is expanding it from civil to include administrative.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Okay.

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Yes.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Does government amendment 10 carry?

(Amendment agreed to on division)

(Clause 120 as amended agreed to on division)

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

We go now to the short title.

Shall clause 1 carry?

(Clause 1 agreed to on division)

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall the title carry?

10:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall the bill as amended carry?

10:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

On division.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall I report the bill as amended to the House?

10:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Shall the committee order a reprint of the bill?

10:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Thank you all very much for your cooperation. This was a very fruitful exercise this morning.

We will suspend the committee for just a couple of minutes to go in camera to discuss future business. But before I do that, I want to thank all the witnesses very much for being here today and for giving us the explanations that you did to certain clauses of the bill and to certain proposed amendments.

So thank you all very much once again. It's much appreciated.

10:05 a.m.

Director General, Energy Safety and Security Branch, Department of Natural Resources

Jeff Labonté

Thank you.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Did you want to go to something before I suspend the meeting to go to future business?

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC

No, thank you.

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Yes, Monsieur Gravelle.

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON

I just thought that Mr. Trost was brilliant today until he voted against the NDP motion. Then he just became a brat.