Environment Committee on Sept. 18th, 2024

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Did you negotiate an agreement this summer?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

No.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

How was the letter signed by members of your party and the Bloc Québécois? How did a joint letter to the committee come to be signed?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Pardon me?

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

I can answer that.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

It's because you didn't respond.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

I responded.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

There were negotiations over the summer.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Only one person may speak at a time. I think the question was asked.

Minister, we're listening.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Actually, I'm not sure I understand the question.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

I spent a long time talking about caribou. We were working on it. Meetings were requested. The Conservative Party wanted to organize meetings. The Bloc Québécois wasn't answering. At one point, Liberal and Bloc MPs sent a letter to the committee asking for a meeting.

What negotiations led to that letter?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

You asked what negotiations I held with the Bloc Québécois leader. This was my answer: I took part in no such negotiations. I had a discussion with the BQ leader, who asked me for clarification when the order was announced in June. I didn't talk about this issue with the BQ leader in July. I didn't talk to him about it in August either.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Minister, we've been clear about the order for over a year and a half. We said that it was a radical approach. The BQ was not in the picture. It started to pressure you this summer, after the holidays.

The Bloc decided not to support our confidence motion. Do you now believe that there were negotiations with you? It's because one of the Bloc's conditions, among others, is to issue the order. Was a request made to your office to issue the order?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I'll say it again: If this is a radical order, the order the Conservatives passed in 2013 should also be considered radical. We've taken the same approach.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

We're going in circles, Minister. That's fine.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

If you have questions for the Bloc, I invite you to put them to the Bloc.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

That's all right. Now—

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

I can answer—

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Simard, please, I have the floor. Thank you. If you want—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Order.

Mr. Simard, you don't have the floor. We'll continue with questions from Mr. Paul‑Hus and answers from the minister, for now. We may discuss other issues at the break.

I don't know where we were. Is it the minister who's answering questions? Where are we?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Chair, I was trying to respond to the question about whether I entered into negotiations with the BQ leader on this matter. My answer was no, and it won't change. No, I didn't negotiate with the BQ leader on this matter.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Perfect, thank you.

Earlier, in the answers you gave to other colleagues present, you mentioned, initially, that you had no reason to be concerned, that you weren't worried about the economic impact. Later, you said that you were taking the impacts into account, but you clearly stated that it wasn't your problem, because you're the Department of the Environment and Climate Change and it's the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industrywho deals with economic impacts.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

That's not at all what I said. I would still—

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

That's what you said. We'll check the record, Minister.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Absolutely. With pleasure.