Evidence of meeting #2 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was commissioner.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
That's a great motion, Ms. Collins. I'm just wondering if you can confirm something that's of interest to me. I'm looking forward to the report that's being released on the 26th. I'm wondering if part of what you would like to do, in inviting the commissioner and the AG, is also to ask questions about the report that's being released. It will be in three important parts. I'm wondering if, as part of what you'd like to do, you'd like to ask questions on that report.
I just want to confirm with you that this is part of the reason you'd like to invite the Auditor General as well as the commissioner.
4:35 p.m.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
My intention behind inviting the Auditor General and the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development was really to inquire about the role of the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, the appointment of the new commissioner, as well as what's happening in the offices. The commissioner of the environment and sustainable development is in the office of the Auditor General, and I'd like to inquire into that as a whole.
The report is coming out on October 27. We can ask any questions of the Auditor General and the commissioner. I think it's fair game to be asking about that report once it comes out.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
That's fine; I had put my hand up before Ms. Collins responded. My question was just around her rationale for inviting the Auditor General. I didn't fully understand that.
Thank you.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I've served on the standing committee on the environment in the past. It's always worthwhile to meet with the commissioner of the environment. Ms. Collins' suggestion is very appropriate.
My sole concern regarding her motion is the length of the appearance, which is only 30 minutes. I believe that additional time will be needed so that all committee members can learn more about this institution. I wonder whether it's appropriate to limit his appearance to 30 minutes. We must bear in mind that there's a 10-minute presentation and rounds of questions afterwards.
I'll ask the committee members to consider this. Will 30 minutes be enough time to ask the commissioner questions and hear his answers?
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
I have a correction, Mr. Godin. We adopted the routine proceedings, and the routine motion laid out that the presenters will present for five minutes to give the MPs enough time to question them.
If we all read our material and then had plenty of questions, I think we'd have two hours.
Ms. Collins, with the two hours we have, do you want both the Auditor General and the environment commissioner here?
I am an accountant, and I can tell you that an Auditor General has a different focus from the environment commissioner. I wouldn't want to see a mixed-up version.
If you want to treat it as the environment commissioner comes the first time and then the Auditor General the next time, that would probably be a better utilization of everybody's time and ability to understand in depth what the commissioner is doing and which way he/she is going.
I'm just making a suggestion to you.
4:35 p.m.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Madam Chair, to that point, we already had the commissioner of the environment come to the previous committee, in I guess the previous session of this parliament.
I think it would be worthwhile to have the Auditor General and the commissioner here at the same time. That way, if one of them can't answer a question about either the appointment of the commissioner or the roles and the offices, then the other one will be there to answer. I think it would be worthwhile to have them both for those two hours.
October 19th, 2020 / 4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Thank you.
I want to reiterate what Ms. Collins just said about having both of them here. I think it makes a lot of sense to have the Auditor General and the commissioner at the same time. They are very interrelated in how they work, so I think that's appropriate.
I would suggest that we don't allow 30 minutes. That's a long time. I suggest that we do the five minutes each, which would be 10 minutes, and that would leave the rest of the time to ask questions. That would be consistent with the standing orders that we approved at that last meeting.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
4:40 p.m.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
I did put “30 minutes”.
I'm very open to that amendment, if someone would like to propose a friendly amendment to adjust either the time or to scrap that portion from, “that they will be given up to 30 minutes for the briefing”.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
I think Monsieur Godin was the first one to bring this to our attention.
Monsieur Godin, would you like to propose an amendment to Ms. Collins' motion?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Madam Chair, the motion states that witnesses be given up to 30 minutes for the briefing and that the clerk ask the witnesses to provide written material in both official languages.
I'd prefer to have a full meeting that lasts up to two hours and to give the Auditor General and the commissioner the opportunity to speak for 10 minutes each. After that, we, as members of Parliament, can ask them questions.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
The amendment you are proposing is to eliminate the half hour that Ms. Collins suggested.
Mr. Redekopp, would you like to assist your colleague Mr. Godin?
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Yes. It should not be 10 minutes each. It should be five minutes each, for a total of 10 minutes.
That would be consistent with our standing orders.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Right. It's in our routine proceeding that we adopted.
Mr. Redekopp, are you going to make the amendment to eliminate the half an hour that Ms. Collins has suggested? If we don't, then we will end up doing a study giving the commissioner half an hour.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Yes. I would propose that we just delete that sentence, and then our routine orders will take precedence, right?
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
4:40 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
I agree that the rules that we voted on two weeks ago should be followed. The motion clearly states that the written material will be provided in advance. I think that we said five minutes so that we could ask more questions. I want us to stick to what we voted on just two weeks ago.