Evidence of meeting #112 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 agency.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jean-Sébastien Rochon  Counsel, Department of Justice
Christine Loth-Bown  Vice-President, Policy Development Sector, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Brent Parker  Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Division, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Olivier Champagne  Legislative Clerk, House of Commons

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Do you want to have a discussion?

Mr. Sopuck, and then Linda.

6:40 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

The last time I looked, Canada was a sovereign nation and we decide what our obligations are to our own citizens and our own environment regarding the environment, climate change, and biodiversity.

As an aside, I've been on the environment and fisheries committees ever since I became an MP and I've yet to hear anybody come up with a coherent, quantitative definition of biodiversity, no matter how often the word is thrown around.

6:40 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Would you like me to do it for you now?

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

No.

Ms. Duncan.

6:40 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I like the redrafting, particularly because it is saying obligations and commitments in respect of environment, climate change, and biodiversity, because there are obligations and commitments to all of those. Sometimes it's a regional agreement. Sometimes it's a commitment like in the NAFTA side agreement.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Are you changing it again?

May 9th, 2018 / 6:40 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

No, I'm not changing it. Before it just said “environmental obligations” and then “commitments on climate change”. It should say “obligations and commitments” to both, to all of those. That's what she did.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

All right, fair enough.

Mr. Bossio.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

We agree with the spirit of where Ms. May is going with this, but we actually have our own amendments, LIB-106, and LIB-111, that are relevant motions. We'll be voting on those.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Shall amendment PV-27 carry?

We'll have a recorded vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 7; yeas 1 [See Minutes of Proceedings)

We are moving on to amendment LIB-17.

Mr. Fisher.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

On amendment LIB-17, we are going to go to line 30 on page 20, that Bill C-69, in clause 1, be amended by replacing line 30 on page 20 with the following:

a jurisdiction — or an Indigenous governing body not referred to in paragraph (f) or (g) of the definition jurisdiction in section 2 — that is in respect of a region related to

We heard about the importance of considering indigenous knowledge on impacts, and this amendment would ensure that consideration of this knowledge in assessments—oh, sorry, I'm on the wrong one.

Indigenous knowledge can come from a variety of indigenous organizations, not just the ones that were listed.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Shall amendment LIB-17 carry?

6:40 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

I would like a recorded vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 5; nays 2 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

We'll go to amendment LIB-18.

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Amendment LIB-18 is that Bill C-69, in clause 1, be amended by replacing line 40 on page 20 with the following:

paragraphs (1)(a) to (f), (h) to (l) and (s) and (t) is determined

As I was saying before, the amendment would ensure that consideration of this knowledge in assessments cannot be constrained or narrowly scoped.

6:40 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Which one are you taking out?

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

It just said (a) to (l).

6:40 p.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

And (g) is out.

6:40 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

You took out (g). You are taking out a lot of them.

6:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

No, we took out (g).

That's it, from what I can see.

6:45 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

What is (g), traditional knowledge?

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

Is traditional knowledge what you're taking out?

Mr. Fisher, I'm trying to get clarity.

6:45 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

What are you trying to say there?

6:45 p.m.

Liberal

Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

It's taking out the “traditional” and putting in “indigenous”.

6:45 p.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

Where does the indigenous part come in?