Evidence of meeting #39 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 chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
6:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
My apologies. I'll take it down. This was a commemoration of the—
6:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
No, I see nothing wrong with that. It's just that we need to have consistency.
6:05 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
Sure. I didn't appreciate the rule. I'll take it down.
6:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Okay, thanks.
The vote on BQ-27 is called.
(Amendment negatived: nays 10; yeas 1)
6:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Shall clause 21 as amended carry?
(Clause 21 as amended agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)
(On clause 22)
PV-31 was withdrawn, so we are now on BQ-28.
The floor goes to Madam Pauzé.
6:10 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Because I don't know when to quit, I come back once again to the need for the experts doing this work to be independent and to know what good climate governance is all about. We have a number of those who [Technical difficulty—Editor] all over the place. Why don't we use countries that are ahead of us as models? In the United Kingdom, for example, emissions have decreased by 28% since 2010, whereas Canada's are increasing or only slightly decreasing.
I do not understand the committee's stubbornness in not considering effective measures used in other places that have good governance, and in refusing to follow in the footsteps of those who have succeeded.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
I have a point of order, and I think this one is fair, Mr. Chair. Mr. Albas did have his hand up.
6:10 p.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to MP Bittle for that.
I have a quick question.
Just to be clear, when Madam Pauzé is tabling these amendments, I'm making the mental change in my mind that she's updating them to have the NDP's amendment to the name of the advisory panel. Is that not the case? It seems that sometimes this is being applied and sometimes it isn't.
Maybe Madam Pauzé can let us know if that's the case.
6:10 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
The NDP did indeed propose an amendment to change the title of the committee in question. But I asked whether I could still propose my amendments and have them considered. I was told that I could, so that's what I'm doing.
6:10 p.m.
Conservative
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
The vote is called.
(Amendment negatived: nays 10; yeas 1)
We will now go to G-14.
Mr. Saini, I believe you're proposing this one.
6:10 p.m.
Liberal
Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Yes, Mr. Chair.
I am pleased to introduce a motion to amend subclause 22(1) of the Canadian net-zero emissions accountability act. This motion clarifies that this body's annual report must set out the result of its engagement activities. It increases the accountability of the act.
6:10 p.m.
Conservative
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Mr. Chair, I will be supporting the amendment, not just because it comes from the honourable member MP Saini but also because it does, I think, result in a better outcome. Conservatives have said that we do support transparency and accountability. This is one small measure that improves the bill, and we are not so ideological, Mr. Chair, that we will not support an idea that improves upon Bill C-12. We will be supporting this amendment.
Again, there was some charm inherent in Mr. Saini's presentation, and I will applaud him for that.
6:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
That's noted.
Congratulations, Mr. Saini, on your success and your charm, of course.
Madam Pauzé, I see your hand is up.
6:15 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
I am sorry, Mr. Chair. I really thought I had all the right documents, but I do not have that amendment.
Can you just read it slowly?
6:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Yes, I will read it again.
The amendment reads: que le projet de loi C‑12, à l'article 22, soit modifié par substitution, aux lignes 4 et 5, page 9, de ce qui suit:
au ministre un rapport sur ses conseils et ses activités dont le contenu fait état notamment du résultat de ses activités d'engagement.
6:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
My pleasure.
We'll go to the vote.
(Amendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0)
Amendment PV-32 was not withdrawn by Ms. May, so she has the floor.
6:15 p.m.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Chair, this amendment is the first one—and the reason I removed all the other ones together, of course, was that they were on the same theme as Madam Pauzé's excellent amendments relating to the independent expert advisory committee that we had hoped to put in place.
This amendment is on the question of the report of that committee. Subclause 22(2) says the minister must publicly respond to the advice of the advisory committee, but the public is not to be aware of the advice submitted by the advisory committee because its annual report—which is referred to in subclause 22(1) and subsequently further amended by G-14, which you just accepted—isn't required to be put anywhere for the public to read.
This is proposed subclause 22(1.1). It's very clear and very straightforward. I hope you'll accept it:
The Minister must publish the annual report
—of the net zero advisory committee—
on the website of the Department of the Environment after receiving it.