Environment Committee on March 20th, 2007

Evidence of meeting #47 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pfos.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-298, An Act to add perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) to the Virtual Elimination List under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Bill C-307, An Act to prohibit the use of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in certain products and to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Kapil Khatter Environmental Defence Canada

John Moffet Acting Director General, Legislation and Regulatory Affairs, Environmental Stewardship Branch, Department of the Environment

Greg Carreau Commercial Chemicals Formulation, Department of the Environment

Robert Chénier Manager, Assessment Section, Existing Substances Division, Department of the Environment

Phil Upshall National Executive Director, Mood Disorders Society of Canada

Charlotte Brody Executive Director, Commonweal

Mindy Goldman Canadian Blood Services / Héma-Québec

Paul Glover Director General, Safe Environments Program, Department of Health

Stephen Lucas Director General, Policy, Planning and International Affairs Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC

I understand quite well motion the motion on the table. It calls for the Minister to appear before the committee so that we can put questions to him about a topic of our choosing. Those are his words.

No one is stopping you from asking the questions you want to ask. If you want to limit yourself to one topic, we don't have a problem with that. If my Bloc colleagues want to tackle other issues, then so be it. The same goes for Mr. Cullen. It's not a matter of limiting the number of topics that will be discussed. I don't see what the problem is.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

Well, I think we can call for the vote. I think Mr. McGuinty has explained himself, and others have explained themselves.

We'll have a recorded vote.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

Are there any other topics for today?

We're going to hand out the revised CEPA report, so that you'll have time to go through it.

12:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

I have a question, Mr. Chair.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

We will have the minister on Thursday. The following Tuesday, we'll do clause-by-clause of the private members' bills, and then we'll go to CEPA on Thursday, whatever date that is.

Mr. Cullen.

12:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

The recommendation to schedule—and maybe we could talk about this afterwards—is to flip the Thursday and Tuesday meetings, only because of the size of the report, and do CEPA on the following Tuesday, finish this conversation we had today on Thursday, and have them back to the House.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

I think it would be good to finish the schedule as we have it.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

My only concern is that I'm not sure we can do the whole CEPA in one day. Is that the plan, to do that?

I know we can do the private members' bills in one day. I'm not 100% convinced we can do CEPA in one day. That's pretty hefty.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

Again, we'll have to see how it works out, Mr. Cullen. I don't know any better than you do, but you'll have a copy of this report to go through for that over a week.

12:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Okay.

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bob Mills

The meeting is adjourned.