Environment Committee on Feb. 9th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Please read it slowly, though.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

It's that Bill S-5, in clause 22, be amended by adding, after line 27 on page 21, the following: “(3) If more than two years have elapsed after the publication of a statement or an amended statement under subsection (1) or (2), as the case may be, without the minister having published all of the regulations or instruments proposed in the statement, the minister shall publish in the environmental registry a statement made jointly by the ministers indicating the reasons for the delay and a time frame within which each of the proposed regulations or instruments is to be published.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you. Just a moment, please.

Have you sent it to the clerk?

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Okay, we'll need a moment to give it to the legislative clerks so that they can read it. I'm not sure they have it yet, but they will have it.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Chair, I think we'd like to see that in writing as it's being submitted. Is that a problem?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes. It's only in English.

[A voice]

You can't debate it.

[A voice]

No, you can't. It's not in French.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Isn't that a requirement of this committee, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

No, it's not a requirement. To distribute it in writing, it has to be in both official languages. However, to be debated, it does not have to be even written down.

Mr. Deltell, you have the floor.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have to tell you that I feel uncomfortable with the idea of voting on a text which is unilingual. I would feel the same if the text were solely in French. We can't vote without knowing precisely what is at stake here.

I have enormous admiration and respect for the interpreters that are here and for the legislative translators that will draft the proposal in both official languages, but I think the current situation is equivalent to handing out a blank cheque.

I know that in the past we proceeded in this way with parliamentary committee reports. What we have here, however, is a bill. Suffice to say that more is at stake.

I refuse to vote on a proposal without having the French translation. I would say the same if the document had been written in French only.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Basically, you want to see the text set out in black and white.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

In both languages.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The interpreters have given us a French version of the text, but you would like to have the text set out in writing.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

That's because we are voting on a clause that could be in the act. It's pretty important.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Indeed.

Ms. Michaud, you have the floor.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I wanted to say essentially the same thing as Mr. Deltell. We can start debating the amendment, but so long as we do not have the text in French, we will not be able to vote. I believe it would be preferable to have the text in French before voting on the amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Ms. Collins.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I think those are both really reasonable comments about being open to having the conversation and the debate around it. Then I think we will have to stand the whole clause, if that's the case. Is that correct?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes, that could work.

Go ahead, Mr. Longfield.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you.

I think Mr. Deltell makes an excellent point. This isn't a report going back to the House; this is actually law that we're writing. Every word is important, and we need to consider it from many different angles.

I think doing it on the fly while we're doing clause-by-clause study is disrespectful to the process. I will not be supporting this, just because we've already had the discussion, and I would like to move on to the next clause.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

You would like to stand it.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

No. I'd be opposing it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

We need unanimous consent, apparently, to stand it. Because we have already started the debate and it's been presented, we need unanimous consent to stand the amendment and the whole clause.

Go ahead.