Evidence of meeting #106 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was reductions.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jerry V. DeMarco  Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Office of the Auditor General
Mathieu Lequain  Principal, Office of the Auditor General
Kimberley Leach  Principal, Office of the Auditor General
Markirit Armutlu  Principal, Office of the Auditor General
Stephanie Tanton  Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Industry
Jean-Philippe Lapointe  Director General, Business Development and Strategy Branch, Department of Industry
Dany Drouin  Director General, Plastics and Waste Management Directorate, Department of the Environment
Nicole Côté  Director General, Environmental Protection Operations, Department of the Environment

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON

It is actually a point of clarification, so if you have another point of clarification, go first.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

I'm sorry. Who's speaking?

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON

I asked you also if you could, since the member opposite mentioned that the same rules apply here as they do in the House, find out whether contempt of the House in making misleading statements also applies here?

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Well....

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON

Yes? Okay, that's great. Now I know what to say: contempt of the House.

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

As a point of clarification, I'm not misleading anybody. This is factual. This is what the commissioner said: “The majority of the contribution agreements [have no] commitment for reductions”. He said that. The clerk can say—

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Okay, it's a quote.

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

It was in his testimony, so enough of this misleading.... I'm not misquoting anybody.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

You're not misquoting. Okay.

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

He literally said that.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON

I was referring to the other point where you said that he literally stated that the Liberal government—

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Your point of order was on this so that's what I'm speaking to.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON

Then I raised the other one on when you said that he “literally” said, but then what you said there was not what he literally said.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

I think on the first one I made the point, for the record, that he did not literally say that. In this case, there's a quote, I believe.

You're quoting him.

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

He did it in his testimony, so, being called a liar on that statement, I would ask for an apology.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Again, I have no enforcement powers. If Mr. van Koeverden—

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON

I'm more than willing to apologize.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Okay, there we go.

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

I shall proceed. The Liberals are giving away billions of tax dollars in the name of emissions reductions, without knowing if there will be any emissions reductions.

When I asked the commissioner if the government is being fully transparent about the emissions data they share with Canadians, he stated, and I quote: No, they are not fully transparent.

In fact, the environment commissioner revealed that the Liberals are inflating their emissions reduction data, even stating that the government may be double-counting the emissions reductions being reported—yes, double-counting.

This is absurd, Chair. How can Canadians believe any of their emissions reports if they're fabricating the numbers?

Let's define the word “fraudulent”. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, fraudulent is defined as “not what it claims or pretends to be”. According to Canada's environment commissioner, the actual emissions reduction data is not what the Liberals claim it to be. This sounds fraudulent to me.

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON

Mr. Chair, once again, I'll just say that he's making misleading statements.

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Is this a point of order?

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON

Yes. It's suggesting that you're in contempt of the House by making misleading statements knowingly. You are basically saying that what he said may have been happening, in fact, was happening, and that it was done intentionally by the Liberal government. That was not what the commissioner said, and you are misleading this committee and people listening to it by saying what you're saying. If you would stick to the facts and just quote the commissioner, I'd be quite happy, but when you continue to politicize it the way you are, it's not accurate.

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Do I have to pull the video clips again?

4:16 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia

Well I think in terms of—

4:16 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

He did say that, and fraudulent is a definition in the English language. I can't help that—