Evidence of meeting #89 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 right.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Olivier Champagne  Legislative Clerk, House of Commons
Paula Brand  Director General, Sustainability Directorate, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of the Environment
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Thomas Bigelow

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

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

I call the meeting to order.

We'll start the meeting, because we have quite a few amendments to look at.

I want to tell the committee that Paula Brand is at the back. She is the director general, sustainability directorate from the strategic policy branch of the Department of the Environment. She's here to guide us if we ever need any guidance.

I didn't know if you would mind, but I thought she might come up to the table with us, and we can always refer to her if we need to for any clarifications. Does anybody have a problem with that?

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

I don't have a problem with that.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

She's happy in the back, but I thought you might want to bring her up to the table.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Sure, bring her up.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Okay, Paula, please come on up.

Thank you, Paula. I appreciate that. I know you're all settled back there nicely, but it's better to have you here, I think.

I'd like to introduce the legislative clerk, Olivier Champagne. He was here before, but he went away because we weren't ready to do it. He's here today to guide us through the process. There is a script prepared.

If you remember last time we did clause-by-clause consideration, we had an issue. We decided we wanted to do something, but we'd already gone past the point and we couldn't get back to it, so let's make sure that we to go carefully through this so we don't have any “oops” and we can't get back, because I think we need unanimous consent to do that, and that's always a bit of a challenge.

For that reason, I'm not going to rush it. I'm going to go carefully through it. We have quite a few clauses and some of them are embedded or supersede another clause, and there are amendments to things that have been brought by others.

Pursuant to the order of reference on Thursday, October 19, the committee now resumes the consideration of Bill C-57, An Act to amend the Federal Sustainable Development Act.

In summary of the bill,

This enactment amends the Federal Sustainable Development Act to make decision making related to sustainable development more transparent and subject to accountability to Parliament.

That was the purpose of our previous report.

We'll get started. Does everybody have their copies open and everything ready? Okay.

We're going to start with clause 1.

The definitions precautionary principle and target in section 2 of the Federal Sustainable Development Act are repealed.

Shall clause 1 carry?

I just want to make sure everybody is ready.

8:50 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Not quite.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

That's fine. I just want us all to be where we need to be.

We are voting. We are moving through. We're starting voting.

8:50 a.m.

Olivier Champagne Legislative Clerk, House of Commons

We can have a debate on clause 1, if you want.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Okay, when I call it, we can have debate on it, and then we'll vote on it. That's the process.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC

Okay.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Okay, hang on. I know, Linda, you're all set. You know what you're doing, but there are a few of us who are getting to your point.

We are on subclause 2, which is:

The definition Minister in section 2 of the Act is replaced by the following:

Minister means the Minister of the Environment, unless the context otherwise requires.

Is everyone in favour of clause 2?

(Clause 1 agreed to)

Now we have our first Liberal amendment. It's on clause 3. I don't know if I need to read it.

Section 2 of the act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order

and you see them in the page in front of you: “appropriate minister”, “designated entity”, and entities (a) and (b).

(Clause 2 agreed to)

We are now on clause 3, and we have a Liberal amendment. Who is bringing that forward?

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

I am.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Go ahead.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Do you want me to read it out?

Okay. You've seen the amendment. It's been tabled.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

We have an amendment, LIB-1. If you don't have it in front of you, we'll make sure we get them in front of you.

8:50 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

I didn't realize you were amending that section.

8:50 a.m.

Paula Brand Director General, Sustainability Directorate, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of the Environment

I think we're still in clause 1.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

No, we're in clause 3 now.

8:50 a.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

It's on page 1.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Okay, hang on, guys. This is why I wanted to go slowly, because I think last time we got confused as well.

We did clause 1, and it carried. We did clause 2, and it carried.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC

Sorry, but isn't it subclauses 1(1), 1(2), and 1(3), because clause 2....

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

He's right. It's a subclause.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC

It's a subclause of clause 1. That's what we're on now.

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte

Hold on. I would refer—

8:50 a.m.

Liberal

John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC

It's not an amendment to that part.