Environment Committee on April 14th, 2021

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Don't put words into my mouth, colleague, please. That's not what we're here for today. Thank you very much.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Okay. Well, we'll get back to your bill, then, since you don't want to answer in regard to your government. I guess I'll save that for Minister Wilkinson.

I would simply like to ask you about your bill.

Do you believe in adding another strategy that will probably take a number of years followed by more government delays? I think that won't solve the problem. Obviously, action will.

Why do you think a delay by focusing on a strategy is a better plan than actually getting to work on specific problems?

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you for the question.

I'd like to say in response that I listened very intently to your speech in the House where you denied systemic racism and told me I should be ashamed of myself for suggesting that racism exists in Canada. So I'd like to put it back to you and ask, have you changed your mind now, and do you accept this premise?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Well, considering we are inspecting your bill, I gave representation specifically on the difference between the first nations and how they're treated under the Indian Act in my region of the Okanagan and how the same penalties would be hundreds of thousands of dollars if they were done on one side of the river channel versus the other. I simply said that there are two different ways of dealing with issues of environmental protection and pointed to those gaps.

Again, you are talking about a strategy rather than concrete action.

Your government promised to solve all boil water advisories and has failed to do so. Solving problems is the government's problem.

When questioned by a resident of Grassy Narrows who was begging for help, the Prime Minister said “No, thanks for the donation.”

No one doubts the Liberals' ability to hire consultants and draft reports. What is needed here are results. Why not push for action now, not action in a few years when a strategy is done?

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

This is the beginning of action. It's the same as when we did the missing and murdered women. We needed a report on that. We need data in order to deal with the issues facing us today.

If you're more concerned about how much money it's going to cost to actually deal with these issues, that's a very sad thing. We need to do the right thing, and we need to listen to our constituents. Yes, racism does exist and environmental racism does exist. We need to deal with it, and that's why we're here today.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Liberal members are fond of saying that we don't care about vulnerable Canadians, but what we want is to have them see results. A consultant-drafted strategy will take two years. Your government has spent over $6 billion, the highest amount, on consultants. It won't help anyone but Liberal-connected consultants and insiders.

Meanwhile, first nations all over Canada don't have clean water. I would suggest that we pull up our sleeves and get to work on helping people on problems for which people need solutions right now, not in two years, right now.

Could you please tell me who will be directly helped by your bill right now?

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

I'm going to ask Dr. Waldron to answer that question.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Chair, I'm asking MP Zann. She's a witness here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Well, I mean it—

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Chair, I get control of my time. I've asked an MP for her results. It's her bill.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

On a point of order, I think we have to listen to the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I'm going to stop the time for a second.

I take your point, Mr. Albas, but you do understand that—

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Chair, it is my five minutes, and I've asked the member a question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes, but your time is stopped, so I'm not taking time away from you.

By way of analogy, sometimes—

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Chair, whose time is it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Well right now, it's [Inaudible—Editor] time—

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The time is stopped.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Can we hear what the chair has to say?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

The chair can assert himself just fine. I've asked the member a question. The member is not—

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Chair, who is in charge of the meeting here?

Do the witnesses get to direct who answers what? That's not fair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I didn't disagree with your point; I just want to make an analogy. Sometimes when officials come and we ask an official a question, the official will defer to another official, and we don't seem to have a problem with that.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

She can choose not to answer. That's fine, and we'll just end this round.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes, it's up to you, Ms. Zann, if you want to answer the question.