Environment Committee on June 10th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Good afternoon, everyone.

We're continuing our discussion we had on Tuesday: pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), amending schedule 2 to the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, together with a report to Parliament on the Gwaii Haanas national marine conservation area reserve and Haida heritage site, which was referred to the committee on June 7, 2010.

I want to welcome back to the table Alan Latourelle, chief executive officer of Parks Canada; Ron Hallman, the director general; and Kevin McNamee, director, parks establishment. And from the Department of Justice, we have Lucie Bourbonnière, acting executive director and senior counsel, legal services, Parks Canada Agency.

Ms. Duncan.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I would like to move that we limit the time. I think everybody wants to get on to other matters. We really appreciate the officials providing their time again, but frankly, I'm a bit surprised that the Parks Canada officials are here again, because I'm not sure we had further questions. But it was nice of them to come back.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

You're making a motion to limit the time. What timeframe are you talking about?

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I would suggest one round of questions per party.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Okay, one round of questions.

We have a motion on the table. It's a dilatory motion. Does everybody understand the motion?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

What does that work out to in minutes?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

If we go with the seven-minute round, if it's four questions--

[A voice]

Plus the statement, or no?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

One complete round?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

You're saying one round? And routine proceedings dictate the first round is seven minutes. We're bound by these routine proceedings, unless we decide to change them. But we have it on the table. This is non-debatable.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

In the spirit of working together on this, there is nothing wrong... I have to word this in such a way that it meets the criteria of a point of order. There would be nothing wrong with my sharing my time with a member from another party, so they would have an opportunity to speak. Is that correct?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Yes. There's nothing wrong with your doing that.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

With that, are there any opening statements from our witnesses? No. Okay, we'll continue with questions.

Seven minutes, Mr. McGuinty.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for being here again, gentlemen from Parks Canada and Madame Bourbonnière.

[Lucie Bourbonnière, Acting Executive Director and Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Justice]

You can call me Lucie.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Enchanté, Lucie.

Perhaps, Lucie, you've had a chance to look at this. Even though this announcement, this regulatory change, contemplates a longer-term management and zoning plan, can you assure Canadians that what is being contemplated in this interim management and zoning plan is in conformity with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the obligations that Canada signed on to under that treaty?

Could someone confirm that?

[Alan Latourelle, Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency]

Yes. I'll take that question, Mr. Chair.

Following your question last Tuesday, we thoroughly reviewed the interim management plan and can confirm that it meets our obligation, or is consistent with our obligation, under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Several components of the convention deal with broader issues in terms of system plans. And we do have one in Canada in terms of the national marine conservation areas system plan, for example, the approach we are taking to management, the legislation, which the specific national marine conservation area would be brought under.

The interim management plan is focused on ecologically sustainable use, which is consistent with our international obligation but also meets our obligation under the national marine conservation area.

Several other components, such as promotion of public education and enjoyment and working with aboriginal communities, are integral to this plan.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

In terms of where we're going... I'm not sure if you're in a position, Mr. Latourelle, to know. We don't know. The government hasn't revealed its position, for example, on the ongoing conference of the parties, negotiations for the new and improved Convention on Biological Diversity. Most of the NGOs have been asking a myriad of MPs if they have any idea. We have no idea what Canada is saying. We're not even sure if we have a position.

Do you know anything about this? Have you been able to run that up the flagpole, so to speak, to see whether what's coming down the track will be factored in here?

[Alan Latourelle]

Our responsibility in Parks Canada is to ensure that as we develop management plans, or in this case an interim management plan, we are consistent, first, with our national obligations under current legislation, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, and consistent with the Convention on Biological Diversity and its objectives and program of work, which we are. We cannot forecast how this will or will not change in the future, so the plan we have developed is based on our current obligations.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

While you're on the subject, I would presume that you have no information about what is being pursued at those negotiations.

[Alan Latourelle]

I am not aware of them.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Okay, thank you.

Can I ask a second question? It deals with the announcement made Tuesday by Gail Shea, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. She announced that two sites have been tapped for designation as marine protected areas. I understand there is an area of what they call Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound.

I am asking the same kind of question I asked on Tuesday, and that is about the whole question of offshore oil and gas and offshore oil and gas transportation. Seeing the announcement of the two sites, I'm wondering whether that means the government is now moving to uphold the 1972 moratorium. We've been asking that over and over again, and we've never had a clear answer.

Can someone help us understand if that is the case--or will oil tankers somehow be allowed to travel through protected areas, the same way, for example, that seismic testing is now being allowed in Lancaster Sound? Can you help us understand how this agreement is going to connect as one entire west coast Pacific oceanshed, if I can call it that?

[Alan Latourelle]

I cannot speak for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans; I want that to be clear. In terms of Parks Canada and the Gwaii Haanas national marine conservation area reserve proposal, the information we have is that there will be no tanker traffic within 60 kilometres of the national marine conservation area.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Has that been reduced to writing somewhere in the agreement?