Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) Committee on March 29th, 2007

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

He saw the light, Mr. Chair, he saw the light.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

Mr. Moffet, would you like to make some comments here?

[John Moffet]

I appreciate all the members' support for this. This actually goes in the regulatory authority. So it's not authority for the minister to report; it's authority for the minister to require people, subject to regulations, to report. We believe it's very important.

I would request that the members consider one small suggestion, and that is, that this text is taken straight from part 5.1, which was exclusively focused on air and GHGs, and therefore the last words say “releases into the air of the substances”. Now that this is in part 5, which are toxic substances more generally, I wonder if members would consider changing it to “into the environment and air”, or maybe just “into the environment”, because we would like to be able to use this authority more broadly than just for air emissions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

It's perhaps a reasonable suggestion, but it needs to come from a member as an amendment.

[John Godfrey, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I would so move, if that would be seen as a friendly amendment by Mr. Cullen.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Very friendly, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

Let me see if I have this right, Mr. Godfrey: “effects on the environment and human health from releases into the environment and the air”.

[John Moffet]

I actually think “and the air” is redundant.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

Does “the environment” sum it up, Mr. Godfrey?

[John Godfrey, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

I believe it would.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

So the amendment would read:

(x.1) the monitoring of the substance and the reporting to either Minister of the effects on the environment and human health from releases into the environment of the substances; and

(Amendment as amended agreed to)

(Clause 14 as amended agreed to)

(On clause 22)

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

We'll go to clause 22 and amendment L-22.

Mr. McGuinty.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Let me just get the appropriate wording, Mr. Chair.

There is a small revision to the numbering, to make sure that it is consistent with changes that have been made. The slight difference should read as follows, in the numbers below, after the word “following:”, “subsection 93(1), 103.05(2)”, and here we would change “103.07(6)” to “103.07(2)(b)”.

Would you like to see text on that, Mr. Jean?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I would.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

Is “or 140(1)” still valid?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I think the “140(1)” stays.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

That's the question. That remains?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Yes, it remains.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

Is there any debate?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I would like to see it in writing, Mr. Chair, and I think that's reasonable before we do anything. It refers to at least four sections. I'd like to see what it refers to, unless the Liberal member has a problem with that, of me seeing—

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

You're entitled to see whatever you want to see.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Great. Could I see it?

I'll just need a minute, Mr. Chair, to go through the sections it refers to, just to make sure that it's in order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

Should I call for a suspension?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I don't need you to suspend necessarily, but I certainly need some opportunity to refer through the bill to what changes have been made, because they're amendments to amendments to amendments. So if I could just have a minute....

[The Chair, Conservative, Laurie Hawn]

We will suspend briefly.