Environment Committee on Feb. 15th, 2024

[Lisa Walter, Coordinator, Aquatic Connectivity, Great Lakes Fishery Commission]

We have a great history of building up these partnerships, both at the agency level, the non-government organizational level, as well as with recreational and commercial fisheries and the people involved in those.

I would just say that the continuity of that and the ability to continue those relationships is key to doing so.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Thank you.

Mr. Madani, I appreciated your comments regarding the way farmers should be engaged as solutions providers and stewards of the land, particularly in Canada. Our southern working landscape is made up largely of privately owned farmland. I think we are very proud, as farming communities, of the stewardship we have undertaken and the advances we've made.

I'm just curious. Given your global perspective and seeing some of the protests that have come out of various European countries right now—not necessarily all related to water, but a host of other policies being driven down on farmers—would you say that this is a global problem?

In the context of Canada right now, I think there's a very real frustration with the way our farmers have had policies imposed on them that they know are detrimental to their own economic imperatives.

[Kaveh Madani]

It is. This is due to the fact that many of those who set policies don't understand the political economy of water. In many countries, water is used not only for producing food but also employment. Unless you understand this critical role of water, you cannot set policies that address some of the other problems and solve the threats to the farmers themselves.

Unfortunately, we have created unintended competition between some of the sustainability policies or climate actions, and the water sector. We thought water was an impact sector, although water is also a sector to mitigate a lot of those other problems. The opportunities that exist in the agriculture sector are too many. Anything you do for the agriculture sector—anything you do to empower the farmers and anything you do to prepare them for climate change, other disasters and extreme events—would benefit other fights, like the fights against biodiversity loss, climate change, hunger, inequality and so on. This is something we don't understand.

The problem is more severe in the global south and in many countries that don't have the luxury that you have to be able to compensate the farmers and change your policies a little bit. In those places, unemployment means migration, tension and war. There are lots of other effects that would not be limited to those regions.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Madani.

Mr. Chair, I'd like to put the following motion on notice:

Given that:

a) Steven Guilbeault, the Minister of Environment, announced, “There will be no more envelopes from the federal government to enlarge the road network”;

b) Minister Guilbeault also said the Liberal government has decided to stop investing in roads because the current network is “perfectly adequate”—

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

Is this a different motion from the previous motion where the Conservatives wasted time? Are they just putting it on notice a second time?

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

This is my time to ask questions. I'm moving it within my time. I don't think he should be upset with this.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It's not the same motion, is it?

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

No, it's not the same motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Okay, go ahead.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll continue:

—is “perfectly adequate” to respond to the needs of Canadians;

c) Moreover, Minister Guilbeault said, “We can very well achieve our goals of economic, social and human development without more enlargement of the road network”;

d) Minister Guilbeault has provided no evidence to back up his erroneous claims;

e) The Liberal government has not consulted with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, or with Indigenous leaders regarding Minister Guilbeault's announcement;

f) Drivers in Canada's major cities spend on average 144 hours in rush-hour traffic every year, with Toronto topping out at 199 hours, Vancouver at 197 hours, Montreal at 180 hours, and Winnipeg at 173 hours;

g) Kam Blight, the president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, said:

“In response to the recent comments made by federal Minister Steven Guilbeault that demonstrate a lack of awareness regarding the challenges faced by municipalities, investing in municipal infrastructure, particularly road projects of all sizes, is crucial in fostering economic growth and addressing the challenges posed by a growing population and expanding trade networks.

“With the reality of our members facing an ever-increasing municipal infrastructure deficit and operating under 19th century fiscal limitations, it is now more important than ever that other orders of government increase investments to support all kinds of infrastructure and work in partnership with municipalities to develop a modernized Municipal Growth Framework for the 21st century.

“It is a strategic move that not only addresses the immediate needs of a growing population but also positions municipalities as hubs of economic activity, fostering sustainable development and enhancing their roles in the broader regional and global economy”; and

h) Minister Guilbeault's plan to end all federal investments in new roads and highways would cripple Canada's economic growth;

the committee call on the Liberal government to condemn Minister Guilbeault's announcement; and the committee report its opinion to the House.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

We'll go now to Madame Chatel.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will be sharing my time with my colleague Pam Damoff.

I may have a bit of advice for some of my colleagues.

Your puppet master should make the motions a little shorter. That would save us some time.

Thank you.

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

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. We cannot tolerate that kind of speech when we're talking about our colleagues.

Did you really say “marionettiste”?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Yes because—

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

Because what?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

This happens pretty regularly. You put forward motions—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Excuse me, colleagues.

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

Your minister is in the House of Commons today, and he has not answered the questions that are raised in the motion.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Well, I—

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

Why didn't Mr. Guilbeault answer the questions?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Colleagues—

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

The economic impact of the damage caused by the Conservatives' action or inaction on climate change could really slow down Canada's economic growth.

That could cost as much as $25 billion a year by 2025. If we do nothing on climate change, as the Conservatives are proposing, it will cost us a lot of money to fight climate change.

I see it even in my region. Some municipalities need to build resilience—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I'm sorry to interrupt, Ms. Chatel.

I think we are being called to the House for a vote. The lights are flashing and I saw the notification on my phone. So we have to go vote.

I think we have to either suspend the meeting or carry on, with the committee members' unanimous consent.

So I am asking what the committee members wish to do.

Do you wish to continue the meeting?

[Voices]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Okay.

Most of us will be voting remotely, I think.

You may continue, Ms. Chatel.