Environment Committee on June 5th, 2018

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Lucas, it's public knowledge that the carbon price is set to be $50 by 2022, but in aNational Post article on March 30, 2017, it was revealed through an access to information request by our party, the Conservative Party, the official opposition, that, to meet climate target objectives, the price of carbon would in fact have to go up to $300. That's another $250—a significant increase—by 2050. That's not a lot of time. That's only another 28 years.

I'm looking to you, Mr. Lucas, to confirm that these discussions are in fact taking place. It's painful for Canadians in terms of carbon pricing. There's the lack of transparency by this government in an effort to inform Canadians as to the price of carbon, to allow them to prepare and change and consider what this means for their lifestyles and families. This continues to be hidden. Mr. Lucas, can you please confirm that these discussions are taking place in regard to a $300 price on carbon by 2050?

Thank you.

[Stephen Lucas]

What I would indicate is that there is no target for 2050. There's no target set for Canada. The government has worked with provinces and territories, indigenous people, business, civil society, and all Canadians to develop a plan that has a variety of measures that are transparent. Our modelling in terms of how those measures contribute to meeting the target in 2030 is transparent, based on what was agreed to with provinces and territories at the first ministers meeting in December 2016.

An element of that agreement was a commitment to undertake a review of carbon pricing in 2020, and then again in 2022. It's those elements that are the basis for our work going forward with our counterparts in the provinces and territories, in consultation with business, indigenous groups, and civil society based on those transparent assumptions and the detailed information provided for all regulatory and other measures as part of the consultation process.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Based upon documentation you have seen, should Canadians prepare for a carbon price of $300 by 2050, yes or no?

[Stephen Lucas]

As I had indicated, Canada has not set a target for 2050. The government, with provinces and territories, in Vancouver in March 2016, affirmed a target and worked together through a very open and consultative process to develop a plan for how to attain that with those assumptions, in terms of the nature of the measures and their modelled impact provided in the report of the United Nations as well as in reporting to Canadians on an annual basis.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

I have to end it there. Thank you very much. We're out of time for statements, and questioning of witnesses has now expired.

Now I'm going to call each vote separately.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

I'd like recorded votes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

We're very well practised now.

CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AGENCY

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$30,232,320

(Vote 1 agreed to: yeas 5; nays 4)

DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$752,618,946

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$76,158,025

Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$600,641,292

(Votes 1, 5, and 10 agreed to: yeas 5; nays 4)

PARKS CANADA AGENCY

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$1,275,738,115

Vote 5—Payments to the New Parks and Historic Sites Account..........$9,007,000

(Votes 1 and 5 agreed to: yeas 6; nays 3)

Finally, shall I report the votes on the main estimates to the House? A recorded vote.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 8; nays 1)

That did carry, so I'll be reporting that back. It could be as early as tomorrow morning.

The next meeting is Thursday, and it's on the consideration of the draft report on the built environment study. Our analysts just want to have a few words. I think we're going to need a bit more time.

Go ahead, Alex, if you wouldn't mind.

[Alexandre Lavoie, Analyst]

We've spent some time updating the report based on your suggestions last week.

The full version of the report, French and English, will be ready tomorrow at the end of the day.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

There's a fair bit of change, because we did ask for quite a bit, so they spent a lot of time getting that all worked in. You're going to see quite a bit of change in the report and more recommendations.

Given that we're getting it late tomorrow, I thought we might want more time to go through it and be really ready to do the recommendations. I'm suggesting that we do not have a meeting on Thursday. We'll start again on Tuesday. It gives us lots of time to digest what's coming at us. It's because of translation that we won't get it until late tomorrow. It's up to you.

Go ahead, Joël.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Chair, I would like to ask the analyst a question about the presentation.

Will we be given the wording of the first version and the changes in addition, in bold or underlined?

[Alexandre Lavoie]

Yes. The changes will be underlined, especially the additions. We had to do a little reorganization, though, given the number of changes. You may not see all the paragraphs that have been moved, but all the additions will be clearly marked.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Is everybody okay with not meeting Thursday, and we'll start again Tuesday next week?

Thank you very much.

This meeting is adjourned.