Environment Committee on March 1st, 2007

[The Clerk]

Yes, it is in English and French.

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

And we have it before us?

[The Clerk]

We can get copies of it. I have one copy right now, and I can make extra copies of it.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

We'll start with making copies.

Meanwhile, Mr. Cullen, over to you.

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

There are two critical things. One is on the debate that we just had. There's been a ruling, and considering the workload we have with CEPA yet to go, I'm cautious about our staying focused on that territory.

The second is with regard to Mr. Vellacott's indignation of notice. I've always had the practice of bringing proper notice to committee. The particular reason for this--and I thought it was in conjunction with Mr. McGuinty's--is what I thought was one of the most serious letters I've ever received from the Auditor General. The intention of the motion is not promiscuous or provocative. It is simply to say that with a letter like this from the auditor--let's be clear of the timeline--that the government knew of this review going on with climate change programs. It was going on all last year. The reports were being conducted in the summer. The government agreed to the recommendations that were given to them in the summertime to release this plan. The plan is not forthcoming in the report, and the Auditor General was using extremely strong language for an auditor, hence this motion.

So I think we should move to voting on it as quickly as we can move, and then get back to the CEPA business. That way we can bring some clarity in terms of an obligation that the government's already agreed to. This is not asking for anything the government hasn't already said they would do months ago. That's all.

I can remember--just to be clear--that Conservative members opposite, when they sat on this side of the benches, when we waited for the then Liberal plan for months and months, repeated consternation about the waiting and the waiting--when is it coming?--Mr. Mills and others. So let's not too quickly forget the past.

Let's get on with it. Let's vote on this and get it done.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you, Mr. Cullen.

On debate on the motion, Mr. Vellacott.

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

I want it to be clear on the record, and to Mr. Cullen particularly, that my issue is not an objection to the particular motion that he brings forward today. It's the issue of the procedural and the due notice stuff, just so we're clear on that.

Mr. Cullen, I think you understand that's my issue more than the content or the substance of what you're bringing forward.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

You're right that I made a ruling. It raised a lot of questions from members. I think it was important to have a bit of a discussion. We've done that. So we're on the debate on the substance of the motion.

Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

I think we've had good, healthy debate, as you point out. I started off saying I don't have a problem with having the motion dealt with, but I think the points that were raised are relevant and hopefully will guide us for future meetings.

The question I have, through you to Mr. Cullen, is this. I want to just make sure I am referring to the correct letter. What's the date of the letter that he's referring to?

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

February 26.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

February 26. I don't have that handy. Could you bear with me?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The clerk is having copies of the letter made, so we should have them shortly.

Mr. Warawa, was that your question?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Yes. It would be nice to have a copy of the letter handy.

So we could maybe break for a couple of minutes.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Should we do that? Members, the alternative is to wait and deal with this motion at the end of the meeting, and to proceed with the study of CEPA, so as not to delay any further. Is that satisfactory? We'll cut off 10 minutes or so early.

Mr. Cullen.

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

We have some switching obligations today. Just to be clear on the time that we'll come back to this, can you just say that now, so I have some clarity--15 minutes before the end of the meeting, 10 minutes?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I'll say 12:45. If we can deal with it quickly, we may go back to more of CEPA.

So we'll go on. Let's get ready to do CEPA.

I guess we'll be going in camera for that. In fact, I'm not guessing, we will be. We were not in camera before, even though we didn't have any audience here. Now we go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]

[Public proceedings resume]

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

We're first of all going to turn to Mr. Cullen's motion. I just want to bring it to your attention that the letter Mr. Cullen was referring to was in response to his letter. Others in the committee did not receive copies of it. As well, Mr. Cullen has the letter in English only; therefore we cannot distribute it.

Mr. Cullen, over to you.

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

Mr. Chair, that's fine. The motion will just stand as the motion.

I think we can do this quickly. The motion reads, as committee members now have it, as follows: “That the Government of Canada bring forth an action plan addressing recommendations made in the 2006 climate change report by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.”

The letter told us things that we already knew in terms of the government's promises and commitments to deliver such a plan.

I put the motion forward for committee to vote on. We've had some discussion already.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Thank you.

Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you.

Mr. Cullen, the letter that you raised numerous times this morning--or I guess this afternoon now--is the letter you received on February 26 from the commissioner. Now, is that still relevant to the discussions?

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

We're dealing with the motion--full stop.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Okay. We're dealing with a motion that was introduced based on a letter that Mr. Cullen received from the commissioner. We had asked for the motion in writing in both official languages, which we've just received, and the letter in writing in both official languages, which is the letter he was just referring to.

Through you to the clerk, I have a question: can we have a copy of that letter, please?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

As I indicated, the letter that Mr. Cullen mentioned earlier is in English only and therefore cannot be distributed. However, he's certainly entitled to bring the motion, as he has.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Yes, he is entitled, but the letter is a relevant part of that, is it not?

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Well, that's for the committee to determine.

I think we're going to go to Mr. Bigras.