Bill S-15 (Historical)

Expansion and Conservation of Canada’s National Parks Act

An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to the Canada Shipping Act, 2001

Part 1 of this enactment amends the Canada National Parks Act to create Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada.
It also amends the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act to prohibit drilling for petroleum in Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada or within one nautical mile seaward of Sable Island’s low-water mark, to restrict surface access rights provided for under that Act and to provide for the issuance of licences and authorizations with respect to activities that may be carried out in Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada.
Finally, it makes consequential amendments to the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.
Part 2 amends the Canada National Parks Act to provide that the dedication of the national parks of Canada to the people of Canada is subject to any Act of Parliament.
It also amends the description of the commercial zones for the Community of Field in Yoho National Park of Canada in Schedule 4 to that Act and of the leasehold boundary of the Marmot Basin Ski Area in Jasper National Park of Canada in Schedule 5 to that Act.

Expansion and Conservation of Canada's National Parks Act

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, when I look at the way this legislation is crafted for Sable Island and for other national parks, in a more collaborative way, which I think is absolutely necessary for continuation of national parks in Canada. We have an island with a nautical mile buffer zone that is totally protected but allows, for instance, Mobil Oil to go on it and monitor wells that were drilled back in the seventies to make sure that the integrity of those wells is maintained. It allows for the helipad on the island. Many national parks have helipads for evacuation purposes, and they have to be maintained. The collaboration of that is a step in the right direction, not just for Sable Island, but for other national parks.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more. I want to thank the member for the offer to visit Sable Island.

We are in uncharted territory. Normally petroleum companies would ask to explore a national park. This is a situation where petroleum companies are already exploring for oil or natural resources and we are going to be converting that to a national park, so we are in uncharted territory. I think we should take our time and make sure that we do consult all stakeholders, all people affected and all governments that are subject to having to govern this type of situation.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the member commented on the usefulness of the Senate. I hope that he will pause and reflect on what happened to climate change legislation in the Senate just a few years ago, how the red chamber killed important climate change legislation that we all agreed upon.

However, rather than talking about the red chamber, I would like to refer the member to the red book in 1993. The member's party made a promise to make a significant improvement to the national parks system but it did not get the job done by its own deadline of 2000. I know the member was not here at that time. It was Alfonso Gagliano who sat in his place, but does he have any idea of some of the reasons and lessons that can be learned from the failure to get the job done in that seven-year period in the nineties?

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have to address the Senate. My own private member's bill was passed in the House of Commons and stuck in the Senate, but that is because of the Conservative-dominated Senate and the fact that its members were not able to fulfill their role as parliamentarians. It is very shameful.

However, in this situation, we had a case where the Conservatives tabled a bill and the Liberal senators on the committee were able to present amendments. The amendments were accepted. We are not sure if the same thing is going to happen here in the House. We will wait to see what committee finally does.

Maybe the member is older than I am, but in the 1990s I remember Conservative governments overspending money. When we took over we did a good job in controlling the deficit. In my youthful years I am hoping that when we take over in 2015, we will be able to get everything in order, and spend money appropriately and properly.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring up the issue of the Senate again. It is an archaic institution that should not be able to hold the House of Commons and the duly elected members hostage. I would like to ask the member where their proposals for reforming or abolishing the Senate would be, so that we do not have that kind of situation that he just raised happen again. For over 50 years--

[An hon. member]

Where are yours?

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

To respond to the government heckling, for over 50 years it has been the NDP's position to abolish the Senate. The government has had seven years to make a change and make a difference. All it has managed to do is refer it back to the Supreme Court instead of having it brought forward in the House.

I would like to ask the member to perhaps comment on his proposals for change in the Senate because we have yet to hear any.

[The Acting Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

I am not sure that question is really pertinent to the question that is before the House.

I do see that the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel is on his feet. Does the hon. member wish to answer?

The hon. member.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is the problem with the NDP. One of its members is asking me about what happened in the 1990s and another one is asking me about something that is happening right now.

We have a leading scholar as our democratic reform critic. The member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville has an untarnished past and an untarnished reputation when it comes to making suggestions for reforming the Senate.

The easiest reform, I can tell members right now, if we look at our caucus, is to appoint competent senators.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will give the member a second chance to answer a question that I asked him.

The member should have a bit of humility, since we know that he replaced Alfonso Gagliano. I think everyone in this House knows the history of that particular member in this House.

However, my question was more specifically about the promise the Liberals made in 1993, in their red book, when they said they were going to improve the parks system by the year 2000. They did not get that job done.

I want the member to reflect and pause and tell us what lessons the Liberal Party learned from that period of broken promises.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Vaudreuil-Soulanges took over from a previous member named Mr. Discepola, who was a former mayor and who passed away recently. This member obviously cannot hold a candle to him by asking questions like that.

However, I recall that during our years, between 1993 and 2000 we actually increased converting national parks by 50% and actually increased the budget to our national parks by 25%.

I am not sure where this member is getting his facts, but he should probably look at the history books and look at the previous budgets the government tabled under the Liberal Party.

[The Acting Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

We are resuming debate.

I will let the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment know that we only have a couple of minutes left in the time allowed for government orders for this afternoon. I will allow her to get started, but be assured that she will have the remaining time available when the House next resumes debate. We have about two minutes left.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, in the short time that I have today, I will emphasize what I think all of us have been saying across debate in this House. This is an important piece of legislation because it would protect a very ecologically sensitive part of our country, one that is almost iconic not just in the local area but across the country. Sable Island is an island that really captures the hearts and minds of Canadians. Certainly I know from talking to colleagues from all parties who represent areas in the region that it strikes a chord with everybody who lives in that area. We have to protect this area. It is so important.

I want to thank my colleagues opposite, who asked very thoughtful questions today and who have expressed a desire to bring this proposal into committee and ensure that we have a rigorous, intense study of it to ensure that we get this legislation right.

That said, before I close today, I must take umbrage with the comment made by the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands that the bill should be abandoned because it would allow for oil exploration on the island. That is not the case. The whole point of the bill is to protect the area from that type of exploration in an area that is natural resource extractive intensive right now.

The point of the legislation is to protect this island and its heritage for years to come. I am certainly very optimistic that colleagues in this House can work together to ensure that this piece of legislation passes.

The Nova Scotia government has done an excellent job in getting this measure through. Industry has done an excellent job in working to ensure that this principle is protected. In this place we owe the residents of the area, and all Canadians, the same level of diligence.

We should pass the bill because it is important to protect Sable Island.

The House resumed from May 31 consideration of the motion that Bill S-15, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Expansion and Conservation of Canada’s National Parks Act

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment has 18 minutes left for debate on this issue.