Evidence of meeting #97 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 board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON
It's just a question to officials, but I'm sure Mr. Shields has—
11:50 a.m.
Manager, Heritage Designations, Parks Canada Agency
Well, what I can give you as a short answer is that one of the objectives of having this foundational piece would be able to bring that indigenous lens to the board and have the board look at all designations to see if there is improvement to be had.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Okay.
I don't see a lot more questioning on this one, and we have other amendments.
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
On the next one, Liberal-3.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
This one is ensuring that the statement is that the person has the knowledge and experience relevant to the appointment assisting with the business of the board. This is a new piece and it's the final element in rounding out the wording on the “up to 19”. That's it.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
As I said earlier, when a bill is tabled, clear guidelines must be established in order to avoid grey areas.
Where is “relevant knowledge and experience” defined? What does it mean? These are very general terms.
Would it not be preferable to clarify your point of view in order to more clearly define the criteria?
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
My comment is that I don't think we would put that into legislation. That would be covered through, as was mentioned, the public appointment process and that may change from time to time so I would rather leave it in that process as opposed to enshrining it in legislation.
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
You want to be careful about being too prescriptive in a legislative document.
I don't see any more questions on that one, so shall the amendment carry? Is there anyone opposed?
(Amendment agreed to)
(Clause 1 as amended agreed to)
(Clause 2 agreed to)
(On clause 3)
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
This gets into the travel living expensed and is cleaning up the wording, so on this one we were just specifying that the living expenses incurred in connection with the business of the board while absent from their ordinary places of residence—we can see previously what the wording was. This is just tightening up of that language.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB
How is the business of these living expenses...? I assume the administrative costs clause is still there.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
The administrative costs actually could come under the next one. This is on travel and living expenses.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Deb Schulte
Okay. It looks good.
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Next is amendment LIB-5.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
One version I sent out was deemed inadmissible, so we have revised it. The translated version was distributed this morning. I'll draw your attention—
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Make sure you have the right one.
While you're getting it, I'll indicate that the cleanup of wording on this one is under the administrative costs. We're saying that members are to be paid expenses fixed by the Governor in Council that are incurred for administrative assistance in connection with the business of the board.
The original piece was on clerical and stenographic assistance, so that is the clarification we had to go with to ensure we were compliant with the scope of the original bill in this amendment.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB
This is obviously open-ended. It almost implies that a member of the board could hire a staff person to work for them and do background research for them. Is that a fair assessment?
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
The safeguard there is that the paid expenses are fixed by the Governor in Council. The Governor in Council would deem what the eligible expenses would be.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB
Yes, but again this could be read that I'm on the board and I'm going to be hiring an administrative assistant within the guidelines of the Governor in Council, Treasury Board, and so on, and to me—I don't recall any other board that has this kind of thing in it, in terms of administrative assistance. As I said, I go back to the board members I know and this administrative assistance just isn't there.
Perhaps Mr. Shields could answer that.