Environment Committee on June 16th, 2025

[The Clerk of the Committee, Leif-Erik Aune]

Honourable members of the committee, I see a quorum.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(3)(a), as the clerk of the committee, I will preside over the election of the chair and the vice-chairs.

I must inform members that the clerk of the committee can only receive motions for the election of the chair. The clerk cannot receive other types of motions, entertain points of order or participate in debate.

We can now proceed to the election of the chair. Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the chair must be a member of the government party.

I'm ready to receive motions for the chair.

[Bruce Fanjoy, Liberal, Carleton, ON]

I would like to nominate Angelo Iacono for chair.

[The Clerk]

Mr. Fanjoy proposes that Mr. Iacono be elected as chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Iacono duly elected chair of the committee.

Mr. Iacono, I invite you to take the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Good day. Thank you for your overwhelming support. I'm looking forward to collaborating and making this committee a joyful, happening one.

Tell me when I get to hit the hammer.

[The Clerk]

It is at the end, sir.

Would you like to proceed to the election of the vice-chairs?

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Yes.

[The Clerk]

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.

I'm now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.

Go ahead, Mr. Leslie.

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

Thank you.

I'd like to nominate Ellis Ross as our first vice-chair.

[The Clerk]

It's been moved by Mr. Leslie that Mr. Ross be elected as first vice-chair of the committee.

Are there any further motions?

(Motion agreed to)

I declare Mr. Ross duly elected as first vice-chair of the committee.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the second vice‑chair must be a member of an opposition party other than the official opposition.

I'm now prepared to receive motions for the second vice‑chair.

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Good afternoon.

I would like to nominate Patrick Bonin from the Bloc Québécois for the position of second vice‑chair.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. St‑Pierre that Mr. Bonin be elected as second vice‑chair of the committee. Is it the pleasure of the committee to adopt the motion?

(Motion agreed to)

[The Clerk]

I declare Mr. Bonin duly elected second vice‑chair of the committee.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Congratulations to the vice-chairs and to all members who were selected to be on this committee.

We shall now proceed to committee business and the adoption of the routine motions.

[Shannon Miedema, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Thank you.

My understanding is that I read them one at a time and we vote on them one at a time. Is that correct?

[The Clerk]

That's the usual practice.

[Shannon Miedema, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Perfect.

The first one is about analyst services.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Go ahead, Mr. Leslie.

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

Just before we dive too far into that, I believe that all these motions were circulated to members prior to the meeting. Perhaps we could dispense with reading out each individual section and just move to unanimous consent.

Your voice sounds good, though.

[Shannon Miedema, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

I'm happy for that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

If members wish to adopt all the routine motions, very well, but we should read them into the record for them to be adopted.

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

The industry committee didn't this morning. That's why I took the precedent from earlier. We were all able to leave much earlier.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Is it a unanimous decision of all the members, as these were distributed by email?

Then so be it.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

If there's no other business, we can proceed to adjourn this meeting.

Go ahead, Monsieur Bonin.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Chair, I believe that the routine motions are finished. I would like to introduce a notice of motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Yes, you can introduce it.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Thank you.

I would like to give notice of the following motion:

That the committee undertake a study of the effectiveness, potential improvements and capability of Canada's 2030 emissions reduction plan to meet climate action targets in line with its commitments to the Paris Agreement.

[The Clerk]

Okay. Your notice of motion is noted.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

This meeting can now be adjourned.

Go ahead, Mr. Leslie.

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

I filled in at INDU earlier. That's why this is all so fresh to me. They introduced the analysts to that committee. It might be wise for us all to learn what the Library of Parliament and our wonderful analysts will be doing for us at the environment committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Thank you.

Welcome. I guess you could talk about your roles within this committee.

[Sarah Yakobowski, Committee Researcher]

Sure. Thank you.

My name is Sarah Yakobowski. I'm one of your analysts. I've been an analyst on this committee since 2017. We'll be here to support you with a variety of research products throughout your studies.

[Alison Clegg, Committee Researcher]

Me too. I'm an analyst at the Library of Parliament.

My name is Alison Clegg. I've been supporting this committee since 2017 as well.

We'll be sending out an email to the whole committee later today—the clerk will be sending it out—with more details about the services we can provide. We're available to support the committee and to answer individual requests from the parliamentarians on this committee. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Thank you, Alison and Sarah.

Does anybody have any questions for them?

Perfect.

Shall we proceed to adjournment?

Mr. Bonin, the floor is yours.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Chair, before we adjourn, I would like to move a motion for discussion. I'll provide a brief introduction.

Work was carried out in the previous Parliament on, among other matters, climate and environmental impact studies related to the Canadian financial system. To my knowledge, the analysts have not finished compiling and presenting the information for this study. If this information isn't available, I would like us to debate the following motion:

That the committee ask the analysts to compile all the information relating to the study of the environment and climate impacts related to the Canadian financial system in order to inform the new members of the committee of the work that was carried out during the 1st session of the 44th Parliament for this study.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

I'll open the floor to debate.

Go ahead, Mr. Leslie.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Just for clarity, we are in committee business, and this is an acceptable motion for debate at this particular time. Is that correct?

[The Clerk]

Yes, it is.

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

I was on the committee last time and I recall the study. There was a compilation of what would have been witness statements and information collected that would have been in the committee binder of the last Parliament. To me, it's reasonable for members to have access to that.

I don't know if we'd want to start our summer by putting on the analysts all of the work of compiling it, given that it was done in the last Parliament. It was not a concluded study, but I think it's reasonable that all of that information that already exists perhaps be put as the first piece of information—should the will of the committee exist to allow for that—in the virtual committee binder for members to review over the summer.

I would hate to have the analysts spend a lot of time on putting together all of that into a draft report that doesn't have a preceding motion within this Parliament to allow and encourage them to do so.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Are there any other comments?

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

Mr. Chair, could you perhaps repeat the motion as expressed so that we're clear on what it's actually asking for?

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Could you read your motion again?

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Gladly. It reads as follows:

That the committee ask the analysts to compile all the information relating to the study of the environment and climate impacts related to the Canadian financial system in order to inform the new members of the committee of the work that was carried out during the 1st session of the 44th Parliament for this study.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Are there any comments?

Go ahead, Mr. Leslie.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Just to clarify, my interpretation of that is the documents already exist. The analysts would have them. It's a matter of sharing and distributing them—probably through the digital binder, because there are probably many files.

I would just ask for clarity from the analyst or the clerk as to whether that's the right interpretation—that it's nothing new. It's just, “Here's all of the information. We put it in a folder. Go look at it at your pleasure.” Is that the right reading of the motion?

[A voice]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

If there's no debate, then we can put it to a vote. Is there an agreement, unanimous consent or...?

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Is it the pleasure of the committee to now adjourn?

The meeting is adjourned. Thank you.