Evidence of meeting #114 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 see.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Yes, we will suspend. I thought we would do 10 minutes before QP, if that's okay, and then we'll get back at it right after QP and the votes.
We are now at PV-73.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
This, again, you'll find on page 51, and it replaces lines 35 to 37. This was based on the witness on this amendment, and the advice came from the Assembly of First Nations that the phrase that is relevant to conducting impact assessments be removed in relation to strategic assessments in order to ensure that the process of any existing Canada plan program is consistent with the indigenous rights recognition framework.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I would like a recorded vote.
(Amendment negatived: nays 9; yeas 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Again, this is giving some kind of specifics to regional and strategic assessments. It's recommended strongly by the expert panel report. They said that a discretionary approach to carrying out regional studies under the current act has not been used. Regional and impact assessments are too important to long-term federal interest to be triggered on an ad hoc basis. A schedule should be created to prioritize which region should require regional assessment, and it's sometimes impossible to deal with broad objectives in a project impact assessment without strategic impact assessment providing direction. This was strongly supported by Canadian Environmental Law Association, Professor Doelle, and the Canadian Environmental Network.
The amendment would require that:
95.1 (1) The Minister must establish and maintain a list of priority regional and strategic assessments, and updates it at least annually.
The Minister must, in each calendar year, conduct at least one regional assessment and one strategic assessment included in the list established under subsection (1).
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I would like a recorded vote.
(Amendment negatived: nays 8; yeas 1)
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
As it currently is drafted, proposed section 95 is odd in that it's entitled “Strategic Assessments” but gives no guidance whatsoever as to what a strategic assessment is to look at. This was noted by some witnesses.
My amendment to proposed subsection 95(2) is to say that:
(2) The assessment referred to in subsection (1) must include an assessment of the environmental, economic and social effects, and of alternative means of carrying. out the physical activities.
In other words, it puts some guidance as to what a strategic assessment is to look at. Otherwise it's without any guidance at all.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Can I just get some clarification?
I'm looking at page 52, line 3, just before “General Rules”. Is that correct?
Conservative
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I'm going to the previous page, there's no proposed subsection 95(1).
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
To be clear, if this is adopted they will add a proposed subsection 95(1), which isn't there now; and and then proposed subsection 95(2) will be added.
Conservative
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I would like a recorded vote.
(Amendment negatived: nays 8; yeas 1)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
We'll move on. Amendment LIB-50 was withdrawn, and we are now on PV-75.
Ms. May.