Environment Committee on Dec. 6th, 2010

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Chair, I had time--

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Your time is paused. He's asking for a point of clarification--

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

So there is the point of order that we didn't have a chance to speak on and now this is another issue...?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

It's a different issue.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

But still the point...?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Yes, the first point of order was based upon the speed that you were speaking at.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

I hope so.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Okay. We'll come back to you, Mr. Warawa.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

I guess what I'm asking you is this. I'm trying to look at it from the point of view of the shipping industry. Is it possible that sometimes the industry already starts conforming to international norms that are in international agreements that have not been ratified by Canada?

In other words, is it possible that the shipping industry becomes proactive and simply starts abiding by internationally recognized norms whether or not Canada has ratified them? I suppose that's a question for the shipping industry.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

I'll let our analysts respond.

Kristen.

[Kristen Courtney, Committee Researcher]

It's certainly possible. Without putting words into their mouths, I think what the shipping industry had in mind was the Marine Liability Act. There may be other acts as well, but that one specifically provides protection to the shipping industry from being sued, basically, if they've complied with certain obligations.

That was the domestic law that implements the international agreement. So that works a little differently from an industry proactively complying with something that actually affords them protection.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Woodworth, are you speaking to the point of order or to the clarification?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Yes, on the point of order that Mr. Scarpaleggia just raised, I think I heard him misstate what I was trying to say. I will confess that I'm not an international law lawyer, but I did not mean to say that this is a problem if the act has not been ratified by Canada. What I meant to say was that this is a problem if an international act has been ratified but not yet implemented in law in Canada. To me, at least, there's a distinction. Whether I'm right or wrong, that's what I was trying to say.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Warawa, do you wish to speak to that point of order?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Well, I would like to, Chair, but we're past our time. It's now 5:30, so I move to adjourn.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

I have a motion to adjourn. All those in favour?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

The meeting is adjourned. We're out of here.