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.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Olivier Champagne  Legislative Clerk, House of Commons
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
Jeff Labonté  Assistant Deputy Minister, Major Projects Management Office, Department of Natural Resources
Terence Hubbard  Director General, Petroleum Resources Branch, Department of Natural Resources

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

That's a fair question.

Let's have the specialists, the experts, comment.

Go ahead.

4:45 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy Development Sector, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Christine Loth-Bown

Thank you.

The proposed amendment says “the committee”.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

The other one says “a”, so one is “a” and one is “the”.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

Is it possible that what's happened is that the first reference is to “a committee” but after that, you're referring to the same committee, thus “the committee”?

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

That's what I think is happening, and we're going to get the explanation.

4:45 p.m.

Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Division, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

Brent Parker

That second reference to “the committee” is referring back to the earlier one identified under “Regional Assessments and Strategic Assessments” in proposed sections 92 and 95.

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

We have clarification.

Well done, Scott.

We were in the middle of a vote and it's going to be a recorded vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 3 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We have LIB-61 and LIB-64 passed.

LIB-62 was dealt with under LIB-60. That one's done.

Now we're moving on to LIB-63. If this one is voted on, it will apply to LIB-65 and LIB 65.1, which is just going around. Please make sure you have LIB-65.1 in front of you.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

Madam Chair, is the one that's just been handed out, LIB-65.1, intended as a replacement for LIB-65? Is that what's going on?

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

No. There's LIB-63, and then you'll have LIB-65 and then LIB-65.1. They're all interdependent.

4:45 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

They're all changing proposed section 119. It would have been easier if they had just given us a new proposed section 119. We're just going line by line by....

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Fair enough, but over time it evolved. So here we go.

On LIB-63, we're looking at line 29, proposed subsection 119(2.1).

4:45 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

We haven't voted on LIB-62 yet, have we?

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Yes. LIB-62 was dealt with under LIB-60. That was the consequential change that went with LIB-60. LIB-64 was the consequential change that went with LIB-61. Now we're doing LIB-65.1, which is a consequential change to LIB-65, and then LIB-63. It would be nice if it was all written out, but we have to make it work.

We have the three amendments. Does everybody have them in front of them?

May 22nd, 2018 / 4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

The wording is not even in both official languages. It's only in English.

4:45 p.m.

Legislative Clerk, House of Commons

Olivier Champagne

The change is only in English in this case. The heading of the amendment in French clearly indicates that it is about the English version.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Okay.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

Was what happened there that the two didn't line up? Were the French and English versions saying different things?

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

That's what I don't understand. If a word is changed in English, it must also be changed in French, otherwise the meaning is altered.

4:45 p.m.

Legislative Clerk, House of Commons

Olivier Champagne

In French, “destinataire” corresponds to “person or entity”. That is why we are making the change. I don't think there is a need to make any changes in French.

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

I sit on the official languages committee and I know that when a word is changed in English, it usually has to be changed in French as well. Otherwise, the two versions are not the same.

4:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Let's have the experts.

Go ahead.

4:50 p.m.

Counsel, Department of Justice

Jean-Sébastien Rochon

A change to subsection 4 would not be necessary. When reference is made to the “destinataire”, it is to the “destinataire” referred to in subsection 3. However, subsection 3 clarifies that the “destinataire” refers to “personne ou entité”.

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Okay, you're talking about the French version.

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

The French version uses the word “destinataire”.

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

My understanding is that the term had to be changed in English so that the wording or the idea is the same.