Evidence of meeting #24 for COVID-19 Pandemic in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We'll go back to Mr. Warkentin.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

Mr. Chair, the minister continues to mislead Canadians. The oil and gas representatives say that not a single company has received the promised liquidity through the BDC, loan guarantees through EDC or funding through the emissions reduction fund.

When will the minister fulfill his promise and give these supports to these companies?

1 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Morneau Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, we will continue to work to support enterprises across the country. The programs we put in place are having an impact. We're making sure that those programs are able to be delivered, and the reserve-based lending approach under the BCAP will certainly be there to help those companies in the energy sector in Alberta to weather this challenge.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

The minister said 84 days ago that liquidity would be available to these companies within hours, if not days.

Can the minister name one company that has received the promised liquidity support?

1 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Morneau Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, we'd be happy to get to the member, if he makes the request directly to my office, the lists of companies that have received many different forms of loans. There will continue to be opportunities for companies to get further loans.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

Is the minister calling oil and gas representatives who say that nobody has received this support as of yet liars?

1 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Morneau Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, of course, there are companies that are working through the program. Of course, the BDC and EDC are working to make sure that their programs are available as broadly as possible.

We will continue—

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We will go back to Mr. Warkentin.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

Mr. Chair, Todd Brown, CEO of Cequence Energy Ltd., summed up the frustration of many in the energy sector when he said, “I feel deceived. I feel like it was a fanfare by the federal government to try and provide window dressing to an industry that I am not sure it supports.”

Capital expenditures continue to be cut by the energy sector. Window dressing won't help. How many jobs does the minister estimate will be lost permanently in the sector due to his inaction?

1 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Morneau Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, I think we need to acknowledge that the energy sector in Alberta is going through extremely challenging times. That is absolutely the case, and it is for that reason that we've put in place a number of different alternatives for those businesses to get access to credit. We'll continue to work to make sure that those access-to-credit programs are available and that they're able to support businesses in this time of need so that they can support their employees and keep them employed.

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

Mr. Chair, in budget 2018, the Liberals gave manufacturing 100% deductibility for clean tech and emissions-reducing capital investment. The oil and gas sector, which is already the largest private sector investor in clean tech, was exempt from this announcement.

Will the minister now extend it to oil and gas companies?

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Morneau Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, we continue to be focused on measures that are going to have an impact on businesses as they face up to the COVID-19 challenge, and there will be things that we will need to continue to look at in the future. That's not a measure that we're currently examining.

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

Mr. Chair, maybe he'll consider this one.

The Hibernia project was given an exemption to Bill C-69 because of flaws that we identified early when this government was passing that legislation. The exemption was given to ensure that jobs could be saved.

Will that exemption be given to all other provinces that produce energy in this country?

June 17th, 2020 / 1:05 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Chair, I think the honourable member should go back and look at Bill C-69, which improved the environmental process in Canada to ensure that good projects could go ahead and that they were good projects.

There is a provision in there relating to regional assessments, which relates to the offshore in Newfoundland, but it is not an exemption from Bill C-69.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Mr. Warkentin, you have time for a brief question, please.

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

The exemption was given to the Hibernia project. Will that be extended to other provinces?

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

I'm sorry, but the honourable member is simply incorrect. There is no exemption to Bill C-69. This is a regional assessment that was done for the purposes of exploratory drilling off the east coast.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Mr. Warkentin, you can ask a 10-second question, if you'd like.

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

Will that same regional exemption be given to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia?

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Honourable minister, give a 10-second answer, please.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

As I say, Mr. Chair, there is no exemption. It is a specific process, a regional process within Bill C-69, and I'd be more than happy to ensure that the honourable member has access to the information associated with how that works.

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We'll now go on to Mr. Doherty.

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Mr. Chair, this question is to Minister Bennett.

Minister Bennett, over the last five years I've personally provided you with evidence of growing tensions of non-first nations and first nations within my region. I've provided you with evidence of harassment and intimidation of residents and tourists even at gunpoint, yet you still refuse to act. Why?

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

I want to remind the honourable members to place their questions through the chair and not directly to the minister.

The honourable minister may reply.

1:05 p.m.

Toronto—St. Paul's Ontario

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

To the honourable member, as we move forward on the historic Supreme Court decision on Tzeachten and on the path to self-determination for first nations, Inuit and Métis coast to coast to coast, the relationships with neighbours are extraordinarily important. We know that tensions exist, but we also have great confidence, as we—