Evidence of meeting #111 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was definition.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
This goes to the definition of sustainability.
I would say that the definition of sustainability in this act is very outdated. The current government has signed on to and endorsed the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, which far exceeds what is listed here. If the government wants to stand by its commitment to all of the segments of what sustainability consists of, I would encourage us to adopt this definition.
It would make Canada consistent, which would give us the ability to contribute to the sustainable development goals set forth in the resolution entitled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. I would also add that this agenda for sustainability, on which the G7 Canadian agenda is set, includes rights for women.
The definition that is there right now does not match what the government is claiming it now believes is sustainability.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
First, I have a question for our officials. Is the term “sustainability” defined in any Canadian legislation at present?
My comment is this. Canada is a sovereign nation. Why are we still always deferring to the United Nations? When we're talking about sustainability, Canada should be determining what that term means, on its own and without kowtowing to a multilateral organization that has less information and less knowledge about our own circumstances in Canada.
If you want a definition of sustainability, let it be a Canadian one.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Okay.
We did this with the first act that we studied, the Federal Sustainable Development Act.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
I'm pretty sure there was a definition in there. We can ask the officials. Is sustainability defined in an act?
I point to the Federal Sustainable Development Act, but go ahead.
Counsel, Department of Justice
That would be correct, Madam Chair. In the Federal Sustainable Development Act, sustainability means “the capacity of a thing, action, activity or process to be maintained indefinitely".
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I actually made this exact same amendment when we reviewed the Federal Sustainable Development Act.
I'm being consistent.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Okay.
Wait a minute. I just want to make a ruling.
If we do adopt this, then NDP-14 cannot be moved because there will be a line conflict. I just want to make sure that you know that before you vote. Sorry.
(Amendment negatived: nays 8; yeas 1 [See Minutes of Proceedings)
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Let's try another definition.
This is the one put forward by a number of Canadian environmental law organizations including Ecojustice, Nature Canada, and West Coast Environmental Law. Their proposed replacement definition would be:
Sustainability means protecting, restoring or enhancing the environment, equitably contributing to the social and economic well-being of the people of Canada, and preserving their health in a manner that equitably benefits present and future generations and that achieves mutually reinforcing, cumulative and lasting gains.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Thank you very much.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Next is amendment PV-6.
Ms. May.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair. This amendment is in response to testimony—I think every member remembers how much information we heard from indigenous peoples, particularly from the Assembly of First Nations. We've already touched on it in the clause-by-clause today, the fact that “traditional knowledge” as a term is problematic. We've seen it now as also uncertain, particularly if you think of “traditional” in the sense of being frozen-in-time, as picture knowledge in a Mason jar, and sealed as is. Indigenous people have talked to us about the fact that there are innovations, new understandings that come from indigenous knowledge systems. We don't want to have a definition of traditional knowledge that excludes the way in which indigenous information evolves over time. Indigenous knowledge systems deliver information in a way that we want to continue to access.
I've changed the definition on page eight, after line 36, to say, “traditional knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of Canada includes information acquired from Indigenous knowledge systems.”
This is directly from briefs. In the bill there's no definition. I've inserted it between “sustainability” and “rights of indigenous peoples”. Later on I actually change it. There's a similar change made down the bill at my 84th amendment.
Going back to this one, I'm inserting a new definition between “sustainability” and “rights of indigenous peoples” to create clarity around what we mean by “traditional knowledge.”
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
There was a question. Did we approve anything to do with indigenous knowledge? We did, but we just changed the term “traditional knowledge” to “Indigenous knowledge.” That's all we've done so far. We haven't done anything else. I just wanted to clarify that for the members who were asking.
Ms. Duncan.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I know there is at least one provision that specifically deals with confidentiality in traditional knowledge. Are there other places in the bill where we need to specifically reference “traditional knowledge”, or has it been changed to “Indigenous knowledge” throughout?
That is one place where that specific term would be needed, unless we are changing it, even in that section. I can't remember which section it is, but it's where we talk about ensuring confidentiality of traditional knowledge that is submitted during an impact assessment.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
We haven't done that. I was going to try to group things, but we're doing them one by one.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
It's not grouping them. Haven't we said that we're going to change it everywhere in the act?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
We said we are going to change it as it comes up. There was a bit of a challenge—
NDP
