Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  I think I suggested in my main presentation that one of the themes we see in part 3 of Bill C-38 is a lack of respect for, or appreciation of, or knowledge of the fact that we live in an ecosystem. Labelling different types of fish, the ones that are commercially or culturally valuable, really ignores that those fish also rely on other fish and other aquatic species and plant species and a healthy ecosystem to live in.

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  When you said that the people who are for this proposed legislation have had access and those who are perceived to be against it have not, I think that really hit it on the nail. Who are the groups who have had access? What kind of access have they had? What's the legitimate process by which they've had access and other people have been shut out?

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  I think you're referring to the Alexandra Morton and B.C. court case. The company involved in that was Marine Harvest. In B.C., if you're not familiar with this, the aquaculture fish farms were for awhile a little bit like a child of divorced parents who were fighting: nobody knew who was doing what with the fish.

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  Furthermore, you should include timelines in the environmental assessment process that hold proponents to a predictable, certain timeline, not just that other people who are participating in the process. I think that's a huge problem. From our perspective, it's often the proponents, when they're needing to provide more information or asking for delays, who cause delays in the process and we'd really like to see those kinds of timelines, if they're going to be out there, applied equally to all parties.

Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill C-38 committee  Thank you for having me here this evening. I am representing the West Coast Environmental Law Association. We are a B.C.-based environmental law, advocacy, and analysis organization. We are one of Canada's oldest environmental law organizations and have been providing legal support to British Columbians to ensure that their voices are heard on important environmental issues.