Evidence of meeting #68 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was conservation.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Len Ugarenko  President, Wildlife Habitat Canada
Bill Wareham  Science Project Manager, David Suzuki Foundation
Ian Davidson  Executive Director, Nature Canada
Stephen Hazell  Senior Conservation Adviser, Nature Canada

10:30 a.m.

Senior Conservation Adviser, Nature Canada

Stephen Hazell

If we're interested in having no net loss as a principle—and it is a principle, not a law—as part of the vision that Bill articulated, you have to have some sort of vision of where you're going or else you're not going to get there. I think it's clear that globally we can't go on the way we've been going.

I think that's the fundamental problem we have in this context, that there's a sense among many people in Canadian society, and perhaps in the government, that we can continue to do the things we've done before, that we can continue to increase the development of our fossil fuel industries, that we can continue to expand our cities, that we can do things as we have done them before. But from an ecological perspective, I think it's clear, given climate change science and the loss of biodiversity globally, that we can't keep on doing things the way we've been doing them.

So there's a real dilemma there.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

Mr. Hazell, you're a better politician than I am—

10:30 a.m.

Senior Conservation Adviser, Nature Canada

Stephen Hazell

I doubt that very much.

10:30 a.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

—because the question was this: should we prohibit first nations from developing their land when it comes to oil and gas development, or should we, according to your no net loss policy, force them to rehabilitate somewhere off their reserve if they're going to be developing their land?

10:30 a.m.

Senior Conservation Adviser, Nature Canada

Stephen Hazell

I think we have the same rules for them as we have for everybody else, whatever those rules are. I was suggesting that if it's a principle, it's not necessarily a law.

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

Mr. Wareham, you had some interesting comments regarding the elimination of habitat on farm or private lands. You gave some great examples from your boyhood in Manitoba. You also mentioned tighter regulations for private landowners.

What would those regulations be? Can you give us an example of some of those tighter regulations you would impose?

10:30 a.m.

Science Project Manager, David Suzuki Foundation

Bill Wareham

As an example, you can regulate the riparian habitat conservation on waterways within private lands, or you can regulate against draining of wetlands—those kinds of things. So it's zoning and habitat conservation measures that—

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

Sorry, but we're running short on time. I just want to get one last one in, then I'll let you finish.

So in regard to beaver dams—

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht

Actually, you're out of time, Mr. Storseth. We're out of time, so we're going to have to discontinue that.

I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. I especially want to thank Mr. Davidson for being here under very difficult circumstances. I want to assure you of our thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

At this point we're going to declare a two-minute recess to allow our witnesses to leave. Then we have a short in camera session to deal with committee business.

Thank you.

[Proceedings continue in camera]