Evidence of meeting #135 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 biodiversity.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Ms. Pauzé, we're moving toward the 20% in terms of protection. That's not insignificant. I mean, we've gone from 1% to almost 16% in eight years.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
I understand that, Minister. However, these are just numbers. I want to come back to something concrete. I'm going back to the Bay du Nord project, which was—
Liberal
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
I want to come back to the project in Bay du Nord, which is located in an area recognized as ecologically and biologically significant by your government, but that project was still authorized. So I think it's all well and good to have framework legislation, but we still need to have policies that follow and that won't encourage maximum oil development.
The Bay du Nord project will not go ahead, but the drilling continues. In early 2021, Equinor received federal authorization to conduct 12 exploratory drilling projects in an area associated with the very important Grand Banks of Newfoundland fishing area, where 40 drilling projects by various companies have been authorized.
Bill C-73 has the virtue of promoting biodiversity and protecting it, but it does not propose concrete public policy measures. Will it prevent future exploratory drilling in protected areas?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
As a member of the Bloc Québécois, you are in a good position to know that, under the Canadian Constitution, natural resources are a matter of provincial jurisdiction. You mentioned it in your introduction. So the federal government can't tell a province that it can't use its oil, just as it couldn't tell Quebec that it can't use its hydroelectricity. It's the same thing. Provinces are sovereign in the use of their natural resources. However, the federal government can and must take action on pollution, and it is doing so.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
However, you will agree that the federal government must protect the oceans and that it does intervene in issues related to overfishing, increased marine transportation, plastics—
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
The goal is to protect 30% of our coastal areas by 2030.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
I'm going to go back to another bill, Bill C-49, which changed the name of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator.
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board auctioned oil exploration licences covering over 100,000 square kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland. This encroaches on eastern Canada's largest marine refuge, which is supposed to protect marine biodiversity.
The high seas come under federal jurisdiction, but the federal government said it was going to relinquish that management to the provinces. We feel that it did so to accelerate oil and gas development. That's why you passed on your responsibilities to the Atlantic provinces.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
No, not at all. We have an agreement with Nova Scotia and an agreement with Newfoundland. As part of those agreements, there is a joint committee. Bill C-49 allowed for the first time in Canadian history the development of offshore wind power. Major offshore wind projects are currently being developed in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia as a result of this bill. I think that's a very desirable thing.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
However, Minister, you know that it's also to develop offshore oil projects.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
No, that's not the case, as the provinces already had that jurisdiction before Bill C-49 was passed. Passing this bill didn't change anything about that, but it added the possibility of developing wind energy, which couldn't be done before. The Conservatives are opposed to that, by the way.
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
According to our understanding, the federal government has relinquished management to the Atlantic provinces in order to have oil and gas development. At least, that's what we're seeing.
Could Bill C-73 prevent the Atlantic provinces from continuing to develop offshore oil and gas in sensitive areas?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
If an area is protected, no oil development and no mining can take place. Some regulated commercial activities, such as tourism or fishing activities, can take place.
However, as I have already said, you should be in a good position to know that the federal government cannot tell the provinces how to use their natural resources. That's in the Canadian Constitution. I don't need to explain that to you, since you are a member of a separatist party. It seems to me that it should be natural for you to know that.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Minister, maybe you can explain this to me, because you approved the project. When you approved it, you said it wouldn't cause significant adverse environmental effects. You actually referenced net-zero emissions by 2050. On the one hand, you're saying that the provinces get to decide, yet on the other hand you approved Bay du Nord.
I want to give you the opportunity to respond because you didn't get a chance to answer my other question. Are you—
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
I have a point of order. My intention is not to disrupt, but I'm wondering if Bay du Nord has anything to do with biodiversity. I've worked very hard to get biodiversity on the agenda here.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I think it's a relevant question. I find it quite interesting how this law will interact with provincial jurisdiction and rights over resource development. I think it's relevant.
NDP
Liberal
NDP
Liberal
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Minister, maybe you can explain how you can being saying right now that you have to throw up your hands, as those decisions are made only by the provinces, when you approved Bay du Nord.
You made the decision. You referenced emissions reductions when you were talking about it. In your explanation, you referenced that it wouldn't cause significant environmental harm. Now you're saying to Madame Pauzé that you couldn't have done anything.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
I will answer in French so that I can express myself properly. What I said was that, in the Canadian Constitution, the use of natural resources is a provincial jurisdiction. There are a number of things the federal government can do—