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
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
The clock has been stopped.
When Madam Neve spoke in French, did you hear it in English?
Conservative
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Again, the assessment of enforcement of provincial laws is the one point that I would like to have addressed.
Director General, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Department of the Environment
That is not something we would generally do, assess the administration enforcement of environmental laws.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Really, it's up to auditors general in those provinces, I think, quite honestly, but I may be wrong.
If these two departments are already aware of these real problems and are working on them, why do we need to spend two years working on a report to tell these officials what they are already doing? Could someone explain that? Is it just the will of Parliament?
Director General, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Department of the Environment
I don't think it's our place to comment on the value of the bill.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
That's fair enough, Ms. Farquharson.
That would have been a good question for Ms. Zann, but she's not on this panel.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I'll give you a little extra. Why don't you take 45 seconds including the answer?
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
You know what? I'll do another round, Mr. Chair.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
I do appreciate the officials and how difficult it is to work from home and to have everything there. I appreciate their trying to work with all of us.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I also want to thank the witnesses for attending today and enlightening us on these very important topic under challenging circumstances.
Mr. Morin, I would like to start with you.
Bill C-230 establishes a vulnerable populations panel to help better understand and address the effects of toxic chemicals on vulnerable populations. Will that panel help to address some of the concerns raised in this bill, and do you [Technical difficulty—Editor] that is a step towards ending environmental racism in Canada?
Director General, Safe Environments Directorate, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
Thank you very much for the question, Mr. Saini. I'm not sure I fully understood it. The connection temporarily froze.
Director General, Safe Environments Directorate, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Department of Health
Please, yes.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Bill C-230 establishes a vulnerable populations panel to help better understand and address the effects of toxic chemicals. [Technical difficulty—Editor]
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Will that panel help to address some of the concerns raised in this bill, and do you see that as a [Technical difficulty—Editor]?
Conservative
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Again, I really don't want to interrupt here, but if the member cannot be heard because of technological reasons, maybe he could log out and come back. If not, then perhaps we can send Mr. Saini's questions to the officials through the clerk and have them on the record.