Environment Committee on Feb. 16th, 2016

[The Chair (Mrs. Deborah Schulte (King—Vaughan, Lib.)), Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Welcome, everybody. We'll get under way.

The first thing I want to do is finish up a little bit of business that we didn't do quite right—that I didn't do right—at the last meeting. When we organized to have our routine motion on the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, we appointed the two VCs, MP Cullen and MP Eglinski, but we didn't appoint the ones on the Liberal side. The whip has given us the names, so I want to put that on the record, if that's okay.

The two from the Liberal side will be MP Aldag and MP Amos.

Are you guys good with that? Okay—

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Madam Chair, are they customarily elected here at this table or are they simply appointed?

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

My understanding was that they brought their names forward, but we can certainly elect them. That would be fine.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

They'll have to make a speech.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

As voters, we need to be informed before we make such a decision.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

The way it worked was that the whip had discussions with the different members, looking at the workload and that. They then came up with the people who were going to bring their names forward.

Do you want to have a...?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

We should probably formalize it, certainly in the interest of doing what the Prime Minister asked, that these committees be independent.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Well, we didn't challenge your side. We just brought your name forward, right?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

No, we voted.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Yes, and I am intending to vote on it; I'm just thinking that we'll bring them forward and we'll vote, sure, but if you want to have any discussion on it, please feel free.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

No discussion.... Why don't we just formalize it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

We should formalize it with a vote.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Sorry, I thought you wanted to do something else. I apologize.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

No, we're not challenging it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

I wasn't sure.

Would somebody bring that forward, please.

Go ahead, MP Gerretsen.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Are they vice-chairs, or is this for the—

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

No, they're appointed to the subcommittee.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Okay, so for the subcommittee, Mr. Amos and Mr. Aldag.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

All in favour?

(Motion agreed to)

Great. Thank you very much. That's put us back on track for that.

We had agreed that today we would have our blue-sky round table on all the wonderful things that we would like to have the committee work on and that we are concerned about. I had also sent something on how to go forward for the next couple of weeks, but we'll talk about that after.

Why don't we proceed clockwise and start with MP Eglinski.

Would you like to share with us what you're thinking about the committee, and why you are so happy to be here?

[Jim Eglinski, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Thank you.

One of the areas that our side would like to look at is clean air and water.

I think we need to deal with clean air in different ways. There are technologies that are out there today, improved technologies. We should do some research on what is out there in terms of the different technologies and on what are the best practices being applied in Canada, whether in coal-fired electricity or in the oil and gas sector.

In relation to water, our concern is fresh water in Canada. I believe we need to take a very good look at the Great Lakes systems, our rivers, the use of our fresh water in industry, and areas like that.

Ed might want to follow through with a little bit more on that.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Madam Chair, given the fact that the government has made a high priority of focusing on and supporting the clean technologies sector and on using clean technologies in achieving the targets that presumably will be set for greenhouse gas emissions, we would like to see a review of the environmental technologies that are available right now and also the economic impact that growing that sector of our own economy could have on Canada's long-term prosperity. Obviously, focusing on alternative energy sources would be one aspect of that.

There's a second area that I'd like to float for consideration. I don't believe this committee has recently done any work in the area of migratory birds and the role that wetlands play in supporting a healthy population of migratory birds.

These are areas that I think would form a very good subject for future study. I'll leave it up to Martin to focus on some of the other issues that he has an interest in.

I wouldn't want to lose sight of the fact that we are very much looking forward to having the minister come in and join us. I'm assuming that work is being done—

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

We're working on that, yes.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

I'm assuming that work is being done to establish a date sometime in March, presumably. Is that what we're looking at?