Environment Committee on Oct. 17th, 2006

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

I hadn't really scoped it. I imagined two hours, but we could take an hour of committee time, and have departmental people here who could address our questions.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

I think that's reasonable. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Okay, I think the motion has been tabled.

Are there any other comments?

Yes, Mr. Vellacott.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

So then the supplementary estimates are not under discussion at this point?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

No, we're talking about the main estimates.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

It's unanimous, so we will try to set a date to look at the main estimates.

As you can understand, of course, we have witnesses scheduled for all of next week--they've all been arranged--but we'll look at some time in the couple of weeks after that.

The next item we need to deal with would be Bill C-288. What I would like to just mention to the committee is that the previous environment committee did a full report based around--and I know many of you weren't here--greenhouse gases, emission levels, the Kyoto Protocol, and so on. The committee did spend, literally, half a year on this. So that will fit in.

The second thing I would like to draw to the committee's attention is that the clean air act is going to be tabled this week, and obviously it will also fit into the discussion of this. So I think that should be under consideration as we look at this.

Mr. Rodriguez.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Chairman, since the House adopted a motion to refer Bill C-288 to this committee about two weeks ago, and since the House wants this committee to examine the bill quickly, I propose that we undertake our work on this bill next week. I so move.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

The problem, as I mentioned, Mr. Rodriguez, is the number of witnesses who have already been arranged, and to be able to deal with that separately. We do have 60 days in which to report that back to the House.

Yes, Mr. Vellacott.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

In terms of the weeks ahead and the committee witnesses coming for the CEPA review, is that next spring? What's the deadline? Is it at the end of the year, May of next year?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

May 10.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

So that's a priority, obviously, I think we'd all agree, and we can't have an election hiccup coming on that one again.

My other question was in respect to the supplementary. What is the deadline, Mr. Chair, we have for that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

They are reported on the 30th, and how long do we have? Some time in December.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Some time in December. Okay. And then, if I understand correctly, the clean air act or that bill is coming before the House some time this week, the later part of the week, I suppose. But with this being done at that point, we're going to have a discussion of Bill C-288, which impinges and cross-references on it, you might say. There will be issues in Bill C-288 that will be covered in this clean air act, or vice versa. So I would think that we'd want to get at that act, which is a government bill, before we get into the other.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

I would agree that we want to see what's in there. Obviously we've been waiting.

Mr. Bigras.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Since the House has already ruled on Bill C-288 and referred it to the committee, it would be important, I believe, to suspend our consideration of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Mr. Rodriguez has suggested starting next week, but we do not have to delve into it on Tuesday. I do, however, think that to respect the decision of parliamentarians in this House who want the bill to be considered by this committee, we should get to it as soon as possible.

I am convinced that if it were a government bill, we would already be considering it. I believe that Mr. Rodriguez's bill warrants our full attention. We must, as a committee, be diligent in this regard.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Cullen, you were next, I believe, and then Mr. Warawa.

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

Just for the committee's consideration, aside from Mr. Rodriguez's bill there are also two other private members' bills that deal specifically with the environment. We just throw a caution out there that some of these things have been in existence and have been worked on for quite a while. The committee is going to have to balance all of that. I understand the government's urgency in getting towards their bill. It can be a first-come, first-served basis.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Chair, I appreciate where Mr. Rodriguez is coming from, in that he's got a private member's bill and he'd like to see it proceed. But we do have 60 days for that to be dealt with, to actually start the discussion, so there is no panic. The government, as he's quite aware, is going to table the clean air act this week. I think he would like to see Bill C-288 proceed before that, but in actuality we've heard from the commissioner very clearly that we need to work together, and I'm not seeing that as an attitude of being willing to work together. Mr. Chair, we have to work together to be able to achieve the goals the commissioner has given to us, to provide legislation that is going to be effective. Bill C-288 deals with a Kyoto initiative, which the commissioner very clearly said was not achievable, and to now try to repeat the mistakes of a previous government.... And it's ironic, Mr. Chair, that Mr. Rodriguez is supporting a leadership candidate who says that what Bill C-288 is trying to achieve is not achievable.

What is the point of proceeding with Bill C-288?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Order. As you know, the room is being occupied.

Mr. Rodriguez, the last word, please.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Chairman. I move that we begin consideration of Bill C-288 next week, perhaps not Tuesday, but Thursday at the latest. I would like this motion to be put to a vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

We have a motion, but we need to vote on it.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

On a point of order. Mr. Chair, Bill C-288, as I said.... Mr. Chair, I have the right to speak on a point of order, do I not? Are we at the end of our time?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

We are at the end of our time. I believe we have a motion.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Chair, then to do this properly, it should be dealt with at the next meeting. Otherwise, Mr. Chair, I have the right to continue.