Environment Committee on June 7th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Okay, everybody's heard Mr. Warawa's arguments. Is there anyone else?

(Motion negatived)

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Now we're back to blue-green algae on June 12, and I would entertain any further amendments that might revolve around that.

Mr. McGuinty, as you realize, we're dealing with yours. We can come back and deal with that after, as well.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chairman, I move, as Mr. Godfrey suggested, that we deal with the G8 issue on June 14, with smog on June 19, and with the clean coal or garbage on June 21.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Everyone's heard that motion--that we deal with blue-green algae, G8, smog, clean coal/garbage, whichever we decide on?

Yes, Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

I just have a question. I've shared with the committee my concern that we not rush things, because we want to provide adequate time, so this is a question to you and the clerk.

Do you believe we have an adequate amount of time to get the right people to the committee—and we're talking about three or four people, professionals--who will be able to share with the committee what happened at the G8? Can we do that by Thursday of next week? That would mean that as soon as they arrive back from Germany, they're going to be contacted and have to make plans. Is that enough time? I'm concerned it's not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

As I mentioned, just to answer Mr. Warawa's question, I believe this group should be centred around the sherpa, who has been working for months and months on the negotiations. So you centre it around him and you put people, basically, on the economic side of it, the scientific side of it, the environmental side of it, and we have a round table, literally, at which everyone gets an opportunity to ask these people the questions they want about what happens. That's the intention of this meeting.

Can we get all of those desirable people by Thursday? I don't know. I know that the sherpa, I've been told, will return on Sunday. So that's all I know at this point, in answer to that question.

Mr. McGuinty.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I would support the amendment put forward by my colleague Mr. Regan, that June 14 be G8, June 19 be smog, June 21 be clean coal and garbage gasification.

As the mover of the original idea for a G8 discussion, I just wanted for us, as a committee, to be clear. In the motion I put forward, which we're not discussing right now, the idea was to invite three or four independent parties, third parties, not contingent upon the single sherpa, and have those three or four parties come in and give us some help in understanding the implications of the government's Turning the Corner plan--the interface between the government's Turning the Corner plan and any G8 outcomes, and what in fact took place at the G8, because there is no public messaging or information made available to Canadians now. What we are negotiating we will know, I guess, after the fact. An economist, along the lines of Don Drummond, an environmental group along the lines of the Pembina Institute, and some other—

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

On a point of order, can we just deal with the amendment?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

That's what I'm on. I'm on the amendment, but I've been stopped.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

A point of order, Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

My understanding is that we were going to allow you and a group to bring a balanced approach, and what's being proposed is not a balanced approach. My understanding is that it had already been decided that it was you and the clerk who were going to be providing the witness list.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

No. No decision was made.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Definitely we will try to achieve the balanced approach. That to me is the only successful way of doing this. We don't need just one side of any issue. So we've tried to live with that throughout all of our meetings, and I would intend to do that again.

I can't tell you today who's available next Thursday and who isn't. We obviously will go after the very best we can get, because I hope we're here to further our understanding of the G8 process and what's going to happen. If any of you listened to Mrs. Merkel half an hour ago, you heard her interpretation of what just happened at the G8, and she's very happy. She was one of the strongest proponents that maybe things wouldn't go right and she's very happy.

So I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I think that's very positive for all of us. We need to hear that from experts who can interpret what in fact has been agreed to.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Back to my comments?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Yes.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Thanks.

Is there another point of order, Mr. Warawa, or can I continue?

Mr. Chair, can I continue with my comments about the actual amendment put forward by Mr. Regan?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Yes. I don't think we need to...let's not get into names right now. Let's get this amendment dealt with first.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

No problem. In terms of who could or could not attend, as I said yesterday and I'll repeat publicly, there are experts who are tracking the work of this country by the hour, by the quarter hour. Every expert who is participating right now in Germany is reachable instantaneously by blackmail, sorry, by BlackBerry—

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[A voice]

I wouldn't advise that approach.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

—not by blackmail, by BlackBerry or by telephone or by fax. And you could blackmail them too if they won't come.

Mr. Chair, let's be honest about this. Every expert in the country who is following these issues is available to speak on this at a moment's notice. I'm sure they would want to participate in the environment committee's work and help us understand where we're going.

I strongly support Mr. Regan's amendment to this, and I really would like to call for the vote, if we could.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Are there any other comments? I would like to give Mr. Cullen and Mr. Bigras an opportunity if they want to say anything regarding this motion. Fine, Mr. Bigras and Mr. Cullen?

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

I have only a small comment, that the timing is totally appropriate. The people will be back. The comments will be very important for us to hear.

I'm still confused about why the government is resisting on the difference of a couple of days. I understand they may have other reasons, but that's fine. But we think this is very appropriate, considering all the effort this committee has put into trying to influence Canada's position, particularly when it comes to climate change.

So we look forward to the vote. Let's move on.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

I assume that means, then, that we have blue-green algae on the 12th, we have the G8 on Thursday the 14th, smog on the 19th, and I don't think you want to deal with clean coal and garbage in the same meeting. That's carrying it a little far. But we'll work on that one and see just who's available on the 21st. Everybody understands? We're okay?

The next order of business then would be your motion, Mr. McGuinty, which I assume—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Which I am prepared to withdraw. Thank you.