Evidence of meeting #123 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 fire.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Yes. As to how it works, it's an ongoing process. We have received a letter and we'll be working with them, but absolutely, Jasper does qualify for the disaster financial assistance arrangements.
Liberal
Liberal
Harjit S. Sajjan Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Because of different disasters, we're up to about $7 billion right now already, since its inception, but most of that has been paid out for the last 10 years.
That said, just keep in mind all the different disasters that have taken place. In some cases, the advance payment has gone. Some of this work will take years, so the true cost has not even fully matured just yet. It will be much, much higher than $7 billion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Thank you.
That completes our first hour.
Thank you, Minister, for being with us, answering questions and providing some clarity on what happened during that terrible disaster.
I believe the officials will be staying with us for another hour to answer further questions. We will continue with two more rounds. We will be able to get in two more.
Again, Minister, thank you. It's always nice to see you.
The third round is a five-minute round. We're only doing five-minute rounds. We have Mr. Leslie, who is....
Actually, while we have a changeover here, in terms of the schedule on October 9, we're planning on doing perhaps two hours on the Jasper National Park fires, but we only have one hour scheduled because we don't have enough witness suggestions. We're missing witness suggestions from the Liberals and the Bloc, I believe. If we don't get more suggestions for witnesses, we'll do one hour on the Jasper fires on October 9 and one hour on the sustainable finance study.
I would ask that any witness suggestions from the Bloc or the Liberals arrive at the clerk's desk or by email by 5:00 p.m. this Friday.
Go ahead, Madame Pauzé.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Chair, you spoke about October 9. I noted that we would do two hours on Bill C‑76 on October 7, and one hour on sustainable finance and one hour on Bill C‑76 on October 9, regardless. There weren't two hours—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
We're an hour short. I believe that we wanted to do a total of six hours on our study of fires in Jasper National Park.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
We've already talked about the topic for one hour. We'll do two hours on it today, and then another two hours on October 7.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I misread the schedule. Sorry.
We'll move on to the third round.
Mr. Leslie, you have the floor for five minutes.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Campbell, I would like to start with our conversation last week that you had with my colleague regarding that email exchange with two of your employees. One said, and I quote:
At what point do we make the organizational decision to cancel planned prescribed burns in Western Canada? As more and more media articles raise public concern...public and political perception may become more important than actual prescription windows.
Have you reviewed the entirety of those email exchanges since we chatted last week?
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Okay.
Now, you claimed that at the time that the email exchange was regarding a debate between mechanical clearing and prescribed burns—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
—but we have a copy of the ATIP here, multiple pages—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
—and there is no evidence to back up that statement. There's no mention of “mechanical”.
That was, to me, a very misleading statement. I would offer you, first, the opportunity to clarify, now that you have read that particular transcript that was publicly released by the environment minister's office, and the opportunity to explain what that possibly meant.
Senior Vice-President, Operations, Parks Canada Agency
It means exactly what I said. There was a discussion between them on two different approaches, one being mechanical and the other being prescribed burns.
Senior Vice-President, Operations, Parks Canada Agency
Mr. Leslie, if you could....
Senior Vice-President, Operations, Parks Canada Agency
We had earlier in that day, or the day before, a meeting of my operations managers. In that meeting of the operations managers, there was a discussion around the number of politicians at the local level and the number of articles across the country and in every type of publication. It was around the public saying that they were losing faith in people starting fires, prescribed burns—
