Environment Committee on April 14th, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Perfect.

[Laura Farquharson]

I think you want me to stop.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Ms. Pauzé, you have two minutes.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

My thought is this. If we introduce new policies based on new rights, such as the right to a healthy environment, everyone should benefit from it. Furthermore, if the policy is well thought out and targeted, it will correct unequal situations. Those who suffer the greatest injustices will then receive help and support from the government, and even reparation for the harm done. That's my understanding. The rights and the criteria for receiving state protection and support are universal. If the principles are truly applied to everyone, without discrimination, then the policy will have the effect of reducing inequalities based on differences.

Based on your expertise and experience, isn't that what would happen if a bill like C-28, establishing a right to a healthy environment for all, were passed?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

You have about a minute left.

I don't know who's going to answer your question.

[Laura Farquharson]

I think that's the same question as before, isn't it?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Yes, I was trying to make it clearer.

[Laura Farquharson]

I think you want to know if I think it would be a good idea to have an environmental right, other than the one that was presented yesterday.

So it's not up to me to answer that question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It's a political question rather than a technical question.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Yes. In essence, it's similar to the question of my colleague Mr. Bittle, who asked whether Bill C-28 could address concerns about Bill C-230. If Bill C-28 is well thought out, it should in principle address discrimination.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The answer was yes, in principle, but Bill C-28 is less about environmental racism. It's about environmental justice. It's a slightly broader concept perhaps.

Now, we'll go to Mr. Bachrach.

Mr. Bachrach, you have two minutes.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Farquharson, earlier we heard about the concept of indigenous-led environmental assessment as a way of addressing what we've heard in terms of environmental racism.

My question is around the operationalization of that. Part of the bill we're debating today deals with the amendment of other acts. Would an amendment to this bill to require amendments to the Impact Assessment Act be a way of operationalizing this idea of indigenous-led environmental assessment?

[Laura Farquharson]

I don't think I can answer that question.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Do you have one more 20-second question, maybe, Mr. Bachrach?

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Part of me wants to ask Ms. Zann if it was something that came up in the drafting of the bill, but that might be a little bit out of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Ms. Zann can ask questions, as I understand it, but not answer them. She is not on the panel.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

That's fine, Mr. Chair.

Perhaps, if I have only a couple of seconds left I'll cede my time, and thank you for the opportunity.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thanks, Mr. Bachrach. That helps us move along.

Mr. Redekopp, you have four minutes.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Mr. Morin.

Health Canada is responsible for first nations health care. We already identified that indigenous communities are one of the targets of this legislation.

There was this Auditor General's report, which I won't repeat, but obviously it talked about water. In that report they analyzed from 2015 until now. During that period, how many indigenous Canadians became sick due to the lack of clean drinking water? What types of illnesses did they have, and what are the variances against the population in areas where the provinces and municipalities have jurisdiction? Are there studies that your department has done on that?

[David Morin]

That is a very good question. Unfortunately, those are questions that would probably best be answered by Indigenous Services Canada. They are the federal department responsible for health care for indigenous populations.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Okay.

This question may be for Ms. Farquharson.

There was discussion about the location of facilities near.... We've been talking about facilities that can cause some trouble, whether they're factories or dumps, but we talked about the consequent environmental risk. I suppose you could use more difficult words than that, but these are areas where there are going to be some environmental challenges.

Have there been any studies done by the department to determine if there are indigenous communities that have these factories or environmental risks co-located near them? Have there been studies on that?

[Laura Farquharson]

I think I am not in a position to answer definitively about that. I don't know.

I do want to clarify in terms of the siting of a number of industries. Obviously, that's in provincial jurisdiction. Some of them are very much in provincial jurisdiction, but I'm sorry, I can't answer the question.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Okay, then let me try a different one.

When it comes to environmental clean-up projects, does your department track any of those, and are some of those near first nations reserves?

[Laura Farquharson]

It could be, but I am not the person to answer that question. I don't know whether anybody else who is here from ECCC would know the answer definitively.