Evidence of meeting #70 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 municipalities.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Eric Gagné  Director General, Science and Technology Branch, Department of the Environment
Robert Judge  Director, Sectoral Policy, Office of Infrastructure of Canada
James Van Loon  Director General, Consumer Product Safety Directorate, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
Lori MacDonald  Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and Programs Branch, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Laura Di Paolo  Director General, Program Integration, Office of Infrastructure of Canada
Bogdan Makuc  Director, Program Integration, Office of Infrastructure of Canada
Philip Rizcallah  Director, Building Regulations, National Research Council of Canada
Tim Williams  Committee Researcher

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

You want to stay in camera?

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

I don't think we're in camera.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

We're not in camera yet, but if you want to go in camera—

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

Before we go into camera, I have other issues that I'd like to get into.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Okay. Go ahead and then we'll move in camera.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

Not on the issue of our previous report, but in relation to our summer work, I previously indicated that so as to ensure that we have a minimum of problems with our House financial administration justifying expenses to attend specific environmental conferences, such as those outlined by our research staff, I propose—and I hope we'll get unanimous support—a motion: that the members of this committee be encouraged to attend, on their own members' office budgets, conferences or environmental or sustainable development-related events that occur over the summer.

I say this because I had this issue last year. I tried to go to an environmentally oriented event and the House administration turned around and said this is out of riding, what's the justification, were you invited...?

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Even with the special fund?

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

If you're not invited, you can't justify using the special fund. I had this hassle. This is why—

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

I never heard of such a thing.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

—I'm looking to pre-empt all these hassles.

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

As long as there's a meal, right? That's my one condition: that there be a meal.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

I appreciate it, but unfortunately, Ms. Duncan, you're not the one deciding in the House financial administration whether we get reimbursed.

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I've never heard of that, so that is concerning.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

Yes. We have a great list of events that are coming up. We also may be invited by colleagues, members of Parliament, to come to their ridings to discuss with their constituents the work we've been doing on the standing committee. I think it is also very important that we be able to do that.

I wanted to propose a resolution with the following terms: that the members of this committee be encouraged to attend environmental conferences or other such events or visit parts of Canada with a view to explaining the work of the committee over the course of the summer. Something simple like that....

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

At their own discretion.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC

It's at their own discretion and pursuant to their own member's budget.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

All right. We've heard it.

Linda.

5:15 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I'm not comfortable with that at all. We all do outreach all the time. I don't think it's the business of the committee what we as individual members do in going out to meet with people.

If you are invited to present to any community organization—a university, an institute, whatever—it's to do with your work in your critic portfolio. If it's your critic portfolio, it's defensible. Never in nine years have I ever had an issue. That's what the conditions are. I don't want to put a qualifier on that I can't go out there except that it's through the committee. I don't think it has anything to do with the committee that I'm doing outreach. If somebody is interested in hearing about some of the work we've done, I'm happy to try to fit it into my schedule. If I have special points, sometimes I might use my own personal points, but I don't see that it has anything to do with the committee.

5:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Jim.

5:15 p.m.

Conservative

Jim Eglinski Conservative Yellowhead, AB

I want a clarification. I was under the impression that if a fellow member calls me to his riding to assist him on something like that, it is on my dollar, and there is no way you can claim it otherwise.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Right. He's not saying—

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

He's saying that he had a hard time doing that last year.

5:20 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

If it's political, but if you're invited to present to a community.... If you are speaking to his constituency association, it is on your own dollar, but if you are invited to speak to his town or his veterans' association, whatever, no, it's a special point....

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

Jim Eglinski Conservative Yellowhead, AB

I just wanted to clarify that and make sure we all understood that.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Mr. Gerretsen.