Evidence of meeting #5 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was warawa.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
I have just one question. Usually when we do the review, environmental groups get in touch with the committee clerk to say that they would like to appear before the committee as part of the review process.
Have some environmental groups expressed a desire to appear before the committee so far? That would give us some idea how urgent the review is.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I would like to ask the clerk whether any groups have been in touch with him.
Bloc
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
How many are we talking about: 2, 3, 10, 20, 30 or 50?
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Are there any other comments on this? We will move on to item 6.
Ms. Duncan.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Chair, I'm just wondering if we can discuss my proposal from before, which was sidebarred, and that was that if at some point in time the Species at Risk Act comes before us, will we also be reviewing the government's obligations under the biodiversity convention, which I understand need to be reported on much sooner than the report on SARA? I have heard from organizations that are concerned about what's happening with that report.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Mr. Warawa's going to consult his advisers on that.
We'll have a fairly busy steering committee meeting on Monday. I have a feeling that we may not be done in one hour.
Go ahead, Mr. Warawa.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Specific to Ms. Duncan's question, I'll have to find out. I don't believe that the committee has dealt with that before. I don't know. Is that a requirement of the minister? Is it the norm that this committee get involved?
Again, we have approximately 22 meetings, and we have a lot to squeeze into them. We have legislative requirements. We have, likely, environmental enforcement and your concern that we have compliance policy attached to that. It's a lot to do in 22 meetings, so we have to be careful about what we can do. We have to be realistic about what we can accomplish.
I will get back to the committee on the biodiversity requirements.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Chair, if I could just follow up on that, SARA is the domestic tool whereby Canada implements its international obligations on biodiversity. So they're inextricably linked. Presumably whatever report the Government of Canada is giving to the biodiversity secretariat is consistent with what they are reporting as done under SARA, so it would seem appropriate to me that these two be linked together.
If at some point in time we look at the implementation of SARA, I would also like to review the enforcement compliance policy for SARA.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Are there comments or questions?
We're moving on to item 6, other business. One is: "ENVI review of the federal sustainable development strategy".
Did that one come from you, Mr. Warawa?
February 24th, 2009 / 9:55 a.m.
Liberal
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
From the analysts, okay.
It's a statutory requirement to do a review of the federal—
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
No. In fact I think I might have made that suggestion in the past. It speaks to the Federal Sustainable Development Act, which was passed by the last Parliament. I think there are 16 to 17 months left for the government to deliver up a comprehensive sustainable development strategy for the country, which would, of course, have a huge bearing on sustainable development strategies, what the commissioner's reporting on—and if you go back to the SDA itself, it actually compels the government to do quite a bit.
The idea was to have the Environment Canada officials, perhaps even the minister, come and explain to us how the Government of Canada is going to arrive at a national sustainable development strategy, which is a huge, huge undertaking. So I suggested that it would be important to get a sense at the committee of where we're at with this strategy and with all of what the act compels the government to do.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Is that something, Mr. McGuinty, that...?
Yes, Mr. Warawa.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Chair, as Mr. McGuinty pointed out.... I'm actually quite encouraged by his high expectations of this government. We do have a reputation for getting things done, and we actually worked with Mr. Godfrey to get Bill C-474 through. We are committed to accountability and sustainable development and a cleaner environment.
As for the requirement for reporting to be done by the government, should the committee at this point undertake a critique of that reporting, I think it would be premature. We have a Commissioner of the Environment who holds the government to account on that reporting. In fact, it was the commissioner who was quite involved with recommending Bill C-474.
Liberal
Penny Becklumb Committee Researcher
Yes, I can speak to it.
There's a legislative requirement under the Federal Sustainable Development Act that when the federal sustainable development strategy is at the draft stage, it's to be submitted both to this committee and the commissioner. And we will do different types of reporting on it: the commissioner will review it as to whether it's reportable, or whether they can audit it properly; and we will do a different type of review of the strategy. But it's required by law.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Okay, then I have a question, Chair, through you.
What is the scope of that?
Committee Researcher
It doesn't say; it's not set out in the legislation. So that's something for the committee to decide.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
So, again, it would be for the steering committee to determine the scope of that review.