As discussed in the analysis of the amendment, clause 10 of the bill places an obligation on the Government of Canada to ensure effective access to environmental information by making such information available to the public in a reasonable, timely, and affordable fashion.
This already exists in many other federal statutes involving the environment. For example, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, requires the minister to establish a registry for the purpose of facilitating documents relating to matters under this act. The registry has been available online since March 31, 2000, and contains approximately 3,000 documents related to regulations, notices, orders, permits, guidelines, codes of practice, agreements and policies, substances, and enforcement and compliance actions. Information is available to facilitate participation in consultations and decision-making processes under the act. The registry has already received between 34,000 and 164,000 unique visits per month since it was established in 2009.
In a second example, the Species at Risk Act also requires the minister to establish a registry for facilitating access to documents relating to matters under this act. This registry is also online and provides access to over 2,300 documents related to Canada's strategy and legislation for protecting and recovering species, species lists, and information on assets.
A third example of pre-existing legislation that makes this clause redundant is the Canadian environmental sustainability indicators initiative. It was given permanent funding in budget 2010, and provides Canadians with regular information on the state of air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, water quantity, and protected areas.
A fourth example of redundancy is in the Canadian environmental assessment registry, which was established in 2003. Pursuant to subsection 55(1) of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, it is an important source of public information on projects undergoing environmental assessment under this act. The registry aims to help the public find information and records related to current assessments, and provides timely notice about the start of an assessment and opportunities for public participation.
A fifth example of redundancy of this clause is in the Access to Information Act, which applies to information related to environmental statutes. It gives Canadian citizens and permanent residents the right to be given access to or request any record under the control of a government institution. It places an obligation on the head of a government institution to make every reasonable effort to assist a person in connection with the request; respond to the request accurately and completely; and, subject to the regulations, provide timely access to the record in the format requested.
With all of these existing mechanisms in place to share environmental information, it's unclear why this provision is needed in this act.
On a further analysis, it's been indicated that the provision would also oblige government officials to reveal to Canadians the negotiating positions of the government on critical environmental treaties and bilateral agreements. The decision on whether or not a government negotiating position is public should really rest with the responsible minister. This could cause serious issues for us when we go to negotiate international or multinational agreements concerning the environment.
Therefore, I do not support this clause. I believe it's redundant in several situations.