Environment Committee on May 26th, 2008

Evidence of meeting #33 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-474, An Act to require the development and implementation of a National Sustainable Development Strategy, the reporting of progress against a standard set of environmental indicators and the appointment of an independent Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development accountable to Parliament, and to adopt specific goals with respect to sustainable development in Canada, and to make consequential amendments to another Act
Committee Business

MPs speaking

Geoff Regan
Nathan Cullen
David McGuinty
Mark Warawa
Bernard Bigras
Brian Jean
Maurice Vellacott
John Godfrey
Marcel Lussier

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Normand Radford
Marie-Andrée Roy  Parliamentary Counsel (Legislation), Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel
Joann Garbig  Legislative Clerk, Committees Directorate, House of Commons

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Mr. Warawa, I'm advised that as amendment G-16 proposes to replace both sections 23 and 24 of the Auditor General Act, in fact they should be taken separately. The committee should decide on amending each of those sections of that act separately.

I think you already have amendment G-17, which would effectively deal with section 24. If you replace section 24 and then repeal it, you have a problem. It's an effective repeal. It should be two decisions.

Can you propose to replace section 23 for now? If you move amendment G-16 and take out the reference “and 24”, then you could do the other as a separate amendment. Okay?

5:40 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

Let's do that then.

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Okay. So moved, I gather. Is that agreeable?

Is that clear, or not?

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

So it is “Section 23 of the Act is replaced by the following:”

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Yes.

Is there debate?

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

The change takes out the words “and 24”.

Now we're on to amendment G-17.

Mr. Warawa, would you like to propose it?

5:40 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

I would like to move amendment G-17.

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Is there any debate on amendment G-17?

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Now we're on amendment L-23 on page 46.

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

Which I am withdrawing.

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Mr. Godfrey is not moving it, so we'll cross that off.

Is there any debate on clause 18?

(Clause 18 as amended agreed to)

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

We're on to clause 19, which is a new clause. I guess we're dealing with amendment L-23.1 on page 46.1 in the new package.

Mr. Godfrey.

5:40 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

We need to be very clear on what we're talking about. This states quite simply, “The schedule to the Act is repealed.” We now are referring to the Auditor General Act. That's where we have taken out the agencies. We produced a list of agencies to which this applied and we're putting them into this act; therefore, we have to take them out of the Auditor General Act. That's what this is about. The schedule to the act refers to the Auditor General Act, and it refers to those now seven agencies that we talked about previously, which we have to do something....

Let's see, what are we...?

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Just out of curiosity, how is it clear that the act you're referring to...? I suppose, for one thing, this one doesn't exist yet.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

Because it's still under the heading of the Auditor General Act.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

It's under the heading; that's fine. That's clear. We're good, from my perspective.

Is there debate on this?

Mr. Warawa.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

I have a question of procedure.

Should we be repealing the schedule as we have it in the bill now and then going to this, or going to—

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

No, it's a different—

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

We've already voted to replace the schedule in the Auditor General Act, and here you are repealing the old one. Is that correct?

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

That's right. It's repealing it. It's taking it out of the Auditor General Act because it's coming into this act.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Ah, yes.

(Amendment agreed to)

May 26th, 2008 / 5:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

Now we're on to the stood clauses.

The first one we have is clause 5.

(On clause 5--Basic principle)

We have amendment G-6 at page 12.

It's amendment G-6, page 12, of the larger package, is it?

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

It's the original package.

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Vice-Chair Liberal Geoff Regan

It's the original package. It's amendment G-6 on page 12.

Mr. Warawa, would you like to move this?

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC

Bear with me for one moment, please.