Environment Committee on Nov. 5th, 2014

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I would like to make sure that this Rouge National Urban Park will be attractive to future generations and that it will be accessible to everyone. It really is an excellent bill. But there's a problem. All the environmental experts, including those from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, explained that this clause would negatively affect the Rouge Park project. If there's one clause that's important to amend, it's that one. I hope my colleagues will think about this clause after hearing all the testimonies on the matter.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Ms. Sitsabaiesan.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Clause 6 is the one that a lot of our witnesses had a very passionate plea about. Almost all our witnesses asked us to make a change to this to make ecological health and integrity a part of it. This amendment seeks to include ecological integrity as a top priority for this park. CPAWS, the York Region Federation of Agriculture, and many of the individual farm owners we spoke with spoke to the possibility of changing and making clause 6 better. I think this amendment does that in a very friendly way for everybody. I hope we will see support for this.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Is there any further debate?

Seeing none, we'll vote on amendment NDP-3.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

I'd like a recorded vote please, Mr. Chair.

(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Ms. Leslie.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Before we get to the main clause, I would like to move an amendment from the floor which I think might capture what we need here. If we turn to clause 6, you'll note it starts on line 35 and carries on and we're replacing line 36 on page 3 with the following:

The Minister must, in the management of the Park, prioritize improvement of the health of the Park's ecosystem; 6(2) For greater certainty, the Minister must recognize and take into consideration the ongoing presence of agriculture in the Park.

Mr. Chair, I offer that amendment noting the good, nuanced and passionate conversation we had here at committee about the need to prioritize ecological integrity but also the need to ensure that agriculture is not just supported but continues in the future, in particular, I think spelling out for greater certainty that the minister must recognize and take into consideration the ongoing presence—so not just right now—of agriculture in the park.

I move that amendment for my colleagues.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you, Ms. Leslie.

Do you have that on paper or only on your iPad?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

I have it on my iPad.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

You need to read it again. Can we give it to the legislative clerk?

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Absolutely. Just don't go through my e-mails.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

We'll have the e-mail amendment read.

[Justin Vaive, Legislative Clerk, House of Commons]

This is the wording of the new amendment:

The Minister must, in the management of the Park, prioritize improvement of the health of the Park's ecosystem; 6(2) For greater certainty, the Minister must recognize and take into consideration the ongoing presence of agriculture in the Park.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

It is an admissible amendment. Is there any further debate on the amendment?

Mr. McKay.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

I would support the amendment. It does speak to a lot of the evidence that we heard, both from farmers and from ecologists. It does move us towards some of the priorities of the minister in terms of managing the park going forward. I think it gives explicit recognition of the ongoing presence of agriculture, and I would hope, the enhancement of agriculture in the park. I think it is highly supportable.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Mr. Calandra.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Obviously, we're not in favour of it. I would just note that the farmers who did appear before the committee were unanimous in their support for the bill as it was written, and none called for any amendments in any way. We'll be voting against the watering down of farmers' rights in the park with this amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

If there is no further debate, I'm going to call for the question on the amendment.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

A recorded vote, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

We will have a recorded vote on amendment NDP-3-1.

(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4)

We will now go to clause 6 as printed in the bill.

(Clause 6 agreed to on division)

(Clause 7 agreed to)

(On clause 8—Advisory committee)

We have PV-4a. A vote on PV-4a will apply to NDP-4 because they're identical.

Could we have your comments on PV-4a, Mr. Hyer.

[Bruce Hyer, Green, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

This is very straightforward. The current form of the bill reads “may”. It is at the minister's discretion as to whether to have an advisory committee, and the suggested amendment would ensure that we would avoid repeating the federal government's failure to follow through with the park advisory panel that they promised in May 2012. That failure has reduced the open and constructive dialogue necessary to resolve issues and to create a healthy and sustainable park. It has, unfortunately, been very damaging to the wide principle of conservation in Canada.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

I'm sure you've checked with the leader to make sure that she is okay with having her name omitted from the bill. I'm just kidding.

Mr. McKay.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

I was going to make the same comment, Chair. It seems to me that the Green Party would not want to have any clause that eliminates the word “may”—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Bruce Hyer, Green, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

—but after today her name is “Ms. Green” anyway.