Environment Committee on March 5th, 2013

[Alan Latourelle, Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada]

If it's the supplementary estimates (C)—

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Oh, I'm sorry, Ms. Duncan, it's the supplementary estimates (C) you're talking about.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Yes, sorry. I thought we were starting with the supplementary estimates.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

No, no, that's quite all right.

Alan.

[Alan Latourelle]

In terms of the supplementary estimates (C), there's an amount of $2.1 million in new funding, for example, for Rouge Park, and $1.8 million—

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

No. Of the $3.9 million, what was—

[Alan Latourelle]

The $3.9 million is mostly related to consultation and streamlining of our professional, technical, and policy capacity within Parks Canada, and also in terms of aligning our period of operation to the period of highest visitation.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

What was the sub-activity that was cut?

[Alan Latourelle]

It would be, for example, our visitor activities, our visitor services, and also our conservation and internal services.

It's across all of our program activities at Parks Canada.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Can you table with the committee very specifically what sub-activities were cut, please?

[Alan Latourelle]

Yes, we can.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you so much. And this is all on the supplementary estimates, please.

With as much detail as possible, can you tell me what the $2.1 million appropriated for the Rouge National Urban Park is for?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Sure. That's an easy one.

As you know, the budget last year detailed the total estimated investment that the creation of Rouge National Urban Park will require. This particular number is to cover the early expenses in preliminary work for the land transfer from the current bodies—the province, the Toronto conservation authority, the City of Toronto, the Town of Markham.

This is for the ongoing preparatory work to establish the park. Each year between now and the tenth year there will be similar allocations requested.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you.

I'd like to pick up on Ms. Leslie's comments. You talked about the Species at Risk Act and whether there need to be changes either through application or legislation.

I believe the feeling out there is it's generally a good act, but that it lacks implementation. Will the changes be through implementation or will they be through legislation?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

That's a valid question. That's a question that is being discussed in many quarters. But just to add to that, even some of the original drafters—

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Minister, could I have an answer?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

I'll come to your answer, but even—

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Time is short.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Some of the original drafters of the Species at Risk Act said that between the creation of the act and the way it passed through cabinet and was eventually proclaimed there were some changes made that limit its effectiveness—unintended consequences. So we are looking at the entire range of possibilities, again with stakeholders, some of whom were involved in the drafting of the original act and who concede that unintended outcomes did occur.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Do we have application or legislation?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

We're looking at both of those. We're considering all possible outcomes, a range of outcomes. There are some who feel that legislation is required for changed circumstances in some industrial sectors. There are others who say it could be made more effective simply with a change in practice.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

If you go the legislation route, do we have your commitment that it would be in a stand-alone bill and not in an omnibus bill?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

That would be my preference, but as you know, the government decides on the composition of bills and the timing of the legislative process.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you.

Vote 10 is reserved for grants and contributions, and in the main estimates 2012-13, $2 million was allocated to ozone monitoring to fulfill our requirements under the Montreal protocol. Then $1.5 million in vote 10 in the supplementary estimates (B) was reallocated.

Can you tell me where that $1.5 million went, and from what program did it come?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

There are two answers. One is that it goes to the continuing operation of the ozone program, and two, as you know, the secretariat is located in Montreal, and that was for the continuing operation of the secretariat.