Evidence of meeting #40 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was parks.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Lois Brown Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Could you comment at all on the maritime infrastructure that is going in and how it is changing the north and the opportunities there?
Acting President, Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
A lot of effort goes into not just doing it but answering the question about where to put these efforts optimally. There are many government departments, whether it's the coast guard, or Environment Canada in some of its own investments.... We have to have the proper charting, navigational aids, and obviously ice-breaking when and where needed. There's a lot of effort trying to figure out what we need and where we need it.
From my perspective, because of the importance of the marine corridors to serve communities and other opportunities, Nunavut is an area into which much effort is going, and we are making progress. That is the reason some of these companies are now moving into operation, and they require and rely upon marine transportation.
Conservative
Lois Brown Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
If I remember correctly, and I haven't gone through the report for awhile, there was a company named Gedex, I think—I don't remember for sure; I would have to go back. They were a mapping company that is working in the north and doing a tremendous amount of work on resource location and also to help identify how we can work—
NDP
The Vice-Chair NDP François Choquette
Ms. Brown, I must unfortunately interrupt you. You have nevertheless managed to make your point.
Mr. McKay, you now have the floor for five minutes.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Martin, in your speech you said the estimates included $44.6 million in grants and contributions. When I look at the line for grants and contributions, it's composed of three things: operating expenditures, capital expenditures, and grants and contributions. The grants and contributions are $25 million rather than $44 million, or am I misreading it?
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Finance Branch, Department of the Environment
What you don't see is the statutory amounts that go to the NCC, which are $18 million, and that brings it up to the $44 million.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
I'm trying to reconcile what was said in the speech, which was the estimates include $44.6 million for grants and contributions. When I look at the line in the supplementary estimates, it's $44.6 million total, but it includes grants and contributions, capital, and operating. Am I right about that?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
You're absolutely correct, Mr. McKay, my mistake.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
My first question would be, why are we seeing a 3% increase in your basic budget, which is really your operating expenditures? Why wouldn't this have been done in March?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
As you have seen there are a series of specific programs, specific activities, for which we are seeking funding.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Are you increasing your staff? Most operating expenses are for staffing. Is staffing increasing at Environment Canada?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
—and you're familiar with that term. There are always fluctuations in our staffing level. We continue to recruit. We have recruited over 100 new indeterminate staff so far this year. We also have retirements. It's a normal phenomenon.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Six months after the fiscal year end you come and say, “I need $16 million”. I'm rounding there.
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
It relates to the specific programs—
November 26th, 2014 / 4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
—and activities, and where they're at as they move through the system.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
The question I was asked the most frequently as I travelled across Canada on my own mini-environmental tour was, what's up with the weather? I've been given to understand that the weather services have been laying off staff, but here you have a $10-million request for weather services. How does that break down in terms of staffing?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
We're not laying off staff in the Meteorological Service of Canada. We're significantly reinvesting in the meteorological service. In these supplementary estimates we are seeking resources to support three things that are core to the business: our monitoring networks, which constantly need to be maintained and made more resilient; our supercomputing capacity, which is at the core of our predictions system; and the work we do to strengthen weather warning and forecast, which is a constant process that we do to improve the reliability of our forecasting capability, not only for one- or two-day forecasts, but for forecasts that are further out.
Liberal
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
I've been given to understand this is becoming quite a challenge because climate change seems to be driving some extreme weather events. It's been hard to keep the modelling up to speed so that Canadians get timely and accurate forecasts. Is that a reasonable observation?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
That's not my understanding. It's the case that we are developing far more sophisticated tools that reflect the progress in our understanding of the global climate system. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and that is a function of the phenomenon of climate change and the general warming we see in the climate system.