Evidence of meeting #25 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 health.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
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.
Conservative
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?
Liberal
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?
Conservative
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?
Liberal
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.
Conservative
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?
Liberal
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Mr. Chair, I'm asking MP Zann. She's a witness here.
Conservative
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.
Liberal
Liberal
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—
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Mr. Chair, it is my five minutes, and I've asked the member a question.
Liberal
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—
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
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—
Conservative
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.
Liberal
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.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
She can choose not to answer. That's fine, and we'll just end this round.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Yes, it's up to you, Ms. Zann, if you want to answer the question.
