Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with Group No. 2 amendments that, as the parliamentary secretary has said, deal mainly with the delegation of authority between provincial and federal governments.
These amendments have all been proposed by the Bloc and the government. Reform has no amendments within this group. However, we would also like to comment.
The Bloc amendments proposed by the member for Jonquière basically propose to give provincial governments a veto throughout the legislation. Reform has regularly been the first party to defend the interests of the provinces and when we are talking about federal interference, which these amendments would create, we certainly cannot support them. In environmental issues we have long called for the rationalization of laws between the provinces and the federal government. However, there has to be a working relationship. The provinces should not have a veto.
When the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development studied the roles of the federal and provincial governments regarding the environment, it concluded that it did not have sufficient information to sort out whether there was an overlap, where there was an overlap and where the changes were needed. In fact, the committee called for greater study on the harmonization as it went forward.
It is interesting that this week the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development tabled a report which included a section on federal-provincial relations. The commissioner found that there was limited reference to environmental protection in the objectives. There were no stated requirements to assess the impact of agreements. Affected industries still face regulatory inconsistencies. There was no requirement for audit. There was no detailed accounting of federal funds transferred and there were weak reporting guidelines.
The commissioner also called for clear goals to protect the environment at minimal expense to the taxpayer, mechanisms to hold responsible parties accountable, regular reporting to parliament, analysis of risks before entering into an agreement, a federal back-up plan and a clear understanding of which government is responsible for what issues.
Clearly there is room for improvement in federal-provincial relationships and we will continue to call on the government to ensure that environmental laws are harmonized in the best interests of the environment as well as good government, both provincially and federally. However, the amendments put forward by the Bloc are not in the interests of federal-provincial harmonization. They are clearly an attempt to undermine the authority of Bill C-32, the act we are talking about today.
Reform supports the role of the federal government in establishing national standards for the environment in areas of federal jurisdiction, yet Bloc Motion No. 4 proposes to eliminate federal commitment to continue to demonstrate national leadership in establishing environmental standards, ecosystem objectives and environmental quality guidelines and codes of practice. We cannot in good faith support such an amendment.
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act falls largely under federal jurisdiction, yet it also provides for provincial consultation and co-operation throughout the bill. However, as I have stated before, many of the Bloc amendments attempt to remove or weaken all references regarding the federal role in the environment, particularly when it deals with the administration of toxic substances.
Motion No. 43, for example, requires the agreement of the provinces when the minister gives notice requiring information for the purposes of conducting research, creating data inventories, issuing guidelines or assessing or reporting on the state of the environment. Although the co-operation of the provinces is highly desirable, this amendment is clearly unnecessary and is an attempt to undermine the bill. Many of the Bloc amendments are similar in nature.
Clearly it is important that the federal government work in co-operation with the provinces on environmental matters. However, we do not support the federal government overriding areas of provincial jurisdiction or making international agreements, such as the Kyoto protocol, without the consultation and consent of the provinces. Those are decisions that require the consent of all the provinces before an agreement is signed, not after.
We are all aware that the environment is a shared responsibility and environmental issues must be dealt with in co-operation and good faith, respecting the interests and jurisdictions of both governments. Obviously governments must work together in the interests of the environment. However, many of the amendments put forward by the Bloc are not in the interests of provincial co-operation. They are simply roadblocks to prevent the bill from realizing its goals, which are to protect the environment.
Often Bloc amendments propose provincial consent in areas that are clearly science based decisions. Such decisions should not be political. For example, Motion No. 81 proposes that the minister obtain the permission of provincial governments when amending the priority substances list and Motion No. 107 requires the ministers to have provincial consent when eliminating substances from the toxic substances list. Clearly these decisions should be science based. Decisions to remove substances from the priority substances list should be based on clear evidence that the listing of that substance is no longer necessary for the health of Canadians and our environment. Such decisions should be based on sound environmental practices and science, not politics. Science should be the determining factor.
We cannot support many of the proposed amendments put forward by the member for Jonquière as they would simply render the bill unworkable and weaken it. However, we find that Bloc Motions Nos. 160 and 205 merit support, so we will support them. These two amendments strengthen co-operation between governments by not just proposing that the minister offer to consult with the provinces, but that the minister consult with concerned provincial governments. These amendments apply to clause 197 when the minister issues guidelines respecting the prevention of, preparedness for and response to an environmental emergency, and for restoring any part of the environment damaged by or during an emergency.
There are 11 reasonable government motions which we will be supporting. These motions basically set up clear timelines for consultation. They propose a 60 day timeline for governments to take up federal offers of consultation. After 60 days the minister may act in accordance with section 2 of the legislation if the offer to consult is not accepted by any government or committee. This amendment gives the government clear guidelines with which to respond to the minister and allows the minister to move forward when talks are at a bypass.
In our view Group No. 2 would be weakened by many of the Bloc amendments which we will not be supporting. However, we will be supporting some of the government amendments that are timely. As there is such a grab bag we will take a piecemeal approach at the time of voting.