Evidence of meeting #35 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 amendments.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
We're going to vote on clause 17 and then we're going to add a clause 17.1.
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
We're getting rid of clause 17 and we're adding new clause 17.1--unless they choose to vote for clause 17 and it passes. Everybody should have clause 17.1.
Those are the instructions from the chair.
Shall clause 17 carry?
(Clause 17 negatived)
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
This is amendment G-15.1, which now becomes new clause 17.1
Go ahead, Mr. Warawa.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
This is all housekeeping, so it fits in the appropriate place. There has been a bit of wordsmithing, but it again brings clarity to the bill. It's basically housekeeping.
Conservative
Liberal
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
What it does is it amends the Auditor General Act to take into account this bill. What it's going to be taking into account will be seen when we get to the next amendment, but it basically lines up, so it's good.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Shall amendment G-15.1, which introduces new clause 17.1, carry?
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
We now need to get permission to reopen clause 18. We then have a new amendment, which is G-15.2, if we have permission. So first of all, I need unanimous consent to reopen clause 18.
Mr. Cullen.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Okay, we're reopening clause 18.
(On clause 18)
So then for us to look at amendment G-15.2, the committee would have to agree to remove amendment G-16, which was carried earlier.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
So we have removed amendment G-16 and we are now looking at G-15.2.
Mr. Warawa.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
So moved, Chair, and again, it is further housekeeping to clarify the reporting of the commissioner.
Liberal
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
This amends the Auditor General Act to incorporate in one section and cover off the two functions we talked about previously. First is how various departments will report out their targets and objectives, and how they tie into the federal sustainable development act. Then under proposed subsection 23(3), it refers to how the commissioner will assess the fairness of the information contained about the whole federal development strategy.
So it deals with two different functions that are located now in one section of the Auditor General Act and in one section of this bill. It's what we did previously under number 14. We now do it all in one place.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I'm not sure if I missed this before. I have not seen the clause around fairness--“to assess the fairness of the information contained”. Is it an accuracy clause? Maybe I'm not familiar with it.
Liberal
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
You may recall from the discussion of the bill when Mr. Thompson was here that “fairness” has a very specific auditing sense, which is that information that is presented fairly represents the data that has been collected and allows you to draw reasonable conclusions from it. It's not fairness in the sense of natural justice, but fairness in an auditing sense. It is an auditing term that we've discussed in the committee.