Environment Committee on Dec. 15th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

I have to get back to my speaking list.

I have Mr. Warawa and then Ms. Duncan if she wants to be on it.

Mr. Warawa, you had a question for our analyst.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you.

Who was the source of this recommended amendment? That's a question through you to the analyst.

[Kristen Courtney]

You're right, it was Theresa McClenaghan of the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Ms. Duncan.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Chair, I'd simply make the comment that unfortunately, because of the restrictions of our process, I don't know if it's even possible to make a friendly amendment to Mr. Scarpaleggia's proposed amendment. We may just have to vote it down and start again.

I agree with Mr. Woodworth, and he doesn't seem to be willing to put forward a friendly amendment, which I would be willing to do. As I understand it, the correct wording would be “Canada shall not deny any resident standing to participate in environmental decision-making or”....

Were the words to “oppose”, or “object to”, or “contest” the standing to appear before the courts? I can't recall, but perhaps the clerk could read out the wording that Mr. Scarpaleggia used.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

The wording we have is “deny, oppose or otherwise contest”.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Well, I guess my friendly amendment then would be, after “deny”, to strike the words “oppose or object”, and add in the word....

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

You are making a subamendment.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Yes, I am.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

So where are you doing this now?

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

As I understand it, Mr. Scarpaleggia's amendment was “shall not deny, oppose or contest”.

Is that what he said?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

It was “otherwise contest”.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Okay.

What I'm saying is that my subamendment is to strike the words after “deny, oppose or otherwise contest” and add those words in after....

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

That's a major amendment. You'd move that to a different part of the clause. So I'm not going to accept that at this time as a subamendment, but if you want to move that as an amendment, after, we can do that.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

So we're still speaking to Mr. Scarpaleggia's amendment.

Are we ready for the question?

[An hon. member]

What's the question?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Mr. Scarpaleggia moves that the motion be amended by adding, after the words “shall not deny”, the words “, oppose or otherwise contest”.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

I thought I heard a subamendment moved.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

I ruled it out of order.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

You ruled it out of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Yes.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

All those in favour of the amendment?

(Amendment agreed to)

We're back to the main clause as amended.

Mr. Scarpaleggia, you're next on the list.