Evidence of meeting #1 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Alexandre Roger

9 a.m.

Liberal

Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC

Related to in camera meeting transcripts, I move:

That one copy of the transcript of each in camera meeting be kept in the committee clerk's office for consultation by members of the committee or by their staff.

(Motion agreed to)

9 a.m.

Liberal

Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC

Here is the motion on notices of motions:

That a forty-eight (48) hours notice, interpreted as two (2) nights, shall be required for any substantive motion to be considered by the Committee, unless the substantive motion relates directly to business then under consideration, provided that (1) the notice be filed with the Clerk of the Committee no later than 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday; that (2) the motion be distributed to Members in both official languages by the Clerk on the same day the said notice was transmitted if it was received no later than the deadline hour; and that (3) notices received after the deadline hour or on non-business days be deemed to have been received during the next business day and that when the committee is travelling on official business, no substantive motions may be moved.

(Motion agreed to)

9 a.m.

Liberal

Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC

The last motion relates to independent members. I move:

That, in relation to Orders of Reference from the House respecting Bills, (a) the clerk of the committee shall, upon the committee receiving such an Order of Reference, write to each Member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the committee to invite those Members to file with the clerk of the committee, in both official languages, any amendments to the Bill which is the subject of the said Order which they would suggest that the committee consider; (b) suggested amendments filed, pursuant to paragraph (a), at least 48 hours prior to the start of clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill to which the amendments relate shall be deemed to be proposed during the said consideration, provided that the committee may, by motion, vary this deadline in respect of a given Bill; and (c) during the clause-by-clause consideration of a Bill, the chair shall allow a Member who filed suggested amendments, pursuant to paragraph (a), an opportunity to make brief representations in support of them.

(Motion agreed to)

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC

That's all I have, Madam Chair.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Thank you.

Mr. Schiefke.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC

Madam Chair, I'd like to propose a motion. I move:

For the second meeting of the committee, that the committee invite senior officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada to provide a briefing on the responsibilities and activities of the Department and answer questions for the duration of the meeting. Environment and Climate Change officials be given up to thirty (30) minutes for the briefing and that the clerk ask the witnesses to provide written material in both official languages in advance of the meeting if possible. For the third meeting of the committee, that the committee invite senior officials from Parks Canada to provide a briefing on the responsibilities and activities of the agency and answer questions for one hour. Parks Canada officials be given up to fifteen (15) minutes for opening remarks and that the clerk ask the witnesses to provide written material in both official languages in advance of the meeting if possible. And that the committee invite senior officials from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to provide a briefing on the responsibilities and activities of the Agency and answer questions for one hour. Impact Assessment Agency of Canada officials be given up to fifteen (15) minutes for opening remarks and that the clerk ask the witnesses to provide written material in both official languages in advance of the meeting if possible.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

I've checked with the clerk. The motion is in order. Are there any questions?

As committee members know, we need to move on, so we need the bureaucrats to come here and give us an update. If they give us an update, at least we will know what our starting point is. Then the subcommittee can be formed and discuss further business for the whole term as such.

Are there any questions for Mr. Schiefke?

Mr. Mazier.

February 18th, 2020 / 9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

On the one hour for Parks Canada, is there any way we can switch that around and reduce it, and for Environment and Climate Change Canada can we increase it, so we can ask more questions? Could we make them all the same so that we have an equal amount of time to ask each department questions at separate times?

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC

Yes, I think that will be fine. This was based on conversations we had where we asked them what time they felt they needed to properly convey the information. However, if you'd like to make a change, I would definitely be amenable to that. I think the idea remains the same, which is that we all want to be on the same page with regard to the information they have to provide.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Do you want to propose the wording to the amendment?

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Let Kerry-Lynne say her piece.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Okay. That's fine.

Madam Findlay.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm just trying to understand this. We just passed a motion that we'd be given 48 hours' notice of all motions, and I'm trying to understand why we're dealing with this right now. I believe that others among us also have motions that we'd like to put forward, in proper order, as to what we'll be looking at in this committee.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Yes. This is our first meeting, where I first got elected as the chair. The governing party decided that, at least, we should have something to study, something that would give us a base for a study. I checked with the clerk and the clerk told me that this motion was in order, so I didn't make the decision on my own.

This is committee business and this is relevant to what the committee normally studies or will study. That's why the motion was in order.

Do you have another motion that is on committee business?

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

We do.

9:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Can we deal with this motion first? Thank you.

9:05 a.m.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

I would like to propose an amendment to the motion that we set the department up for the second meeting of the committee and that we table a decision on the Parks Canada officials.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

You want the third meeting to wait. You don't want Parks Canada to come.

9:10 a.m.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

Yes. We want to table our motion. There may also be another motion coming forward from another member of the committee as to what we'll be looking at for the third meeting and going forward.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

We'll go to Mr. Longfield first and then Mr. Saini.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON

I appreciate where Ms. Findlay's coming from. We also have some motions to be put forward. However, once we have the subcommittee in place, it can deal with the raft of motions that is going to come in to get us started.

In order to get some firm footing on where we ended last time—and where we're heading this time—it would be important to get the government officials to brief us. That'll give us context for any other studies that we might want to do.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Thank you.

Mr. Saini.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON

I was just going to reiterate the same point as Lloyd. I don't think we're trying to put any motions forward or anything like that. Another motion can be subsequently debated.

We just want to get a start and get some briefing from the government officials. From that briefing, we can decide which direction we want to go. It will give us some context and information as to where we are at and what we think about where we need to go. I think the motions can come after. I think initially it would be good to get a quick briefing right away to get some information because we've started a bit late.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Mr. Schiefke.

9:10 a.m.

Liberal

Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just wanted to add that I've had briefings as parliamentary secretary with these officials. I found them to be incredibly helpful in terms of better understanding where we are as a starting point and in formulating my thoughts. The reason for putting this motion forward is just to ensure that every member of this committee is starting at the same place and has access to that very valuable information.

I agree that we should move on to other motions following that. This was really just to make sure we're all at the same starting point and following the same process that the previous committee used in 2016, when they started their meetings off with briefings from the officials. I've spoken to many of them and they said it was incredibly helpful.