Evidence of meeting #113 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 line.

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
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Philippe Méla
Brent Parker  Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Division, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Jeff Labonté  Assistant Deputy Minister, Major Projects Management Office, Department of Natural Resources

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

I think that's clear.

Shall the amendment carry? It is a recorded vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 8; yeas 1 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We are on LIB-22.

Mr. Bossio.

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Thank you, Chair.

Once again, this is another of many amendments where I'm trying to bring forward meaningful participation for the public and others.

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Shall the amendment carry?

11:40 a.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

I would like a recorded vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 9; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

We are on LIB-23.

Mr. Bossio.

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Once again, Chair, this also goes to indigenous knowledge, and to specify how indigenous knowledge would be considered in decision-making, and reconciled with the need to ensure this knowledge is protected. It's one of a number of amendments I've put forward.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Can I comment on it as well?

11:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Ms. Duncan.

11:40 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Again, every tribunal in Canada treats the issues related to indigenous knowledge and concerns differently. Some tribunals refuse to make a ruling, some tribunals are mandated to make a ruling. I don't how the minister can possibly transfer this responsibility to another jurisdiction when there is a tribunal that is not mandated, in fact, to make the rulings that a federal tribunal would.

In those cases, to me, where there are indigenous interests at stake, there should be a joint review, not a substitution.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Mr. Godin.

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Madam Chair, I would like to find the place in the text of the bill, but I'm lost. I am on page 26, line 9. I apologize, I just found it.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Shall the amendment carry?

11:45 a.m.

An hon. member

I would like a recorded vote.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 8; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

On PV-36, Ms. May.

11:45 a.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This is a very straightforward amendment. It adds a brand new subsection (5), that the minister must post the report on the Internet site within 10 days after the day it's submitted.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Shall the amendment carry?

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

I would like a recorded vote.

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

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

We are on NDP-35.

Ms. Duncan.

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Madam Chair, this ensures that a report created through the substitution process specifically complies with proposed sections 31 to 33, and that government should have good information about adverse environmental effects relating to all projects over which it has decision-making responsibility.

The federal government should not be allowed to avoid due diligence by allowing the review by a province alone and conformity should mean conformity with proposed sections 31 to 33.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Shall the amendment carry?

11:45 a.m.

An hon. member

I would like a recorded vote.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

(Amendment negatived: nays 8; yeas 1 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We are on NDP-36.

Ms. Duncan.

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Madam Chair, this makes this provision mandatory rather than giving her discretionary power. Where the minister believes that additional information is required to determine whether there are adverse effects that impact the public interest, it seems rather bizarre that she is not required to request that information.

That was requested by the expert panel. Without this change, it highlights the frailties of allowing substitution. If a province fails to fully assess the impacts under federal jurisdiction, it will then essentially need a second federal-led review. It seems to make sense.

It's rational that the minister must request the additional information, otherwise those matters would not have been reviewed. She may have made a mistake when she agreed to the substitution and had not had information brought to her attention that there were other adverse effects that affected federal jurisdiction. Once she becomes aware of that, she should be required to demand that information. Frankly, she should be required to then call a federal review, but that's not what this section says.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Okay.