Evidence of meeting #15 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vehicle.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
I understand that the practice of the committee typically has been that we do our studies in the order in which they are approved. Looking at the calendar, I see that takes us to the end of January or early February.
Recognizing that I assume the government is going to do something in the intervening time, I would propose an amendment, on the last line of the motion as amended, that the minister appear within two weeks of an announcement regarding changes to the industrial carbon tax.
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
I have a question on that. If the study begins before changes are made to carbon pricing, your wording would mean that the minister would not appear, because there would have been no changes.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
That's a very fair question from my colleague.
I'm trying to buffer against the four invitations that have gone unanswered by this minister. My expectation is that the environment minister will continue to hide from this committee and will not appear. The amendment is an effort to ensure that the minister shows accountability to this committee and Parliament, broadly speaking, by showing up within a set period.
That's a very fair point, not knowing when the strengthening of the industrial carbon tax announcement or any further details may be coming. I'm willing to make changes to the specific text of that, but my concern is that we are soon, hopefully, to be giving drafting instructions on the failure of this government to meet its 2030 emissions reduction targets. Specifically in that motion, we have not yet fulfilled it because one of the centrepiece items in that motion was to have the minister appear. I'd hate for us to forget that this was a key part of the motion that you, my colleague from Quebec, had sponsored to bring the minister here. We still have not heard from her.
She is slated to come on the supplementary estimates. Great. The most basic thing a minister could do is come before her committee on the money going out the door to her department. We had to fight tooth and nail to get her to stay for a second hour on what was the first motion this committee passed in its infancy, which was, “Hey Minister, come here to talk about your priorities and your mandates since there are no longer public mandate letters.” We have outstanding...on the emissions reductions target and the electric vehicle mandates that are in place, although on pause.
My concern with making that particular proposed amendment.... I'm willing to be flexible on that, but we have just such a long track record. The history of the so-called new Liberal government is the Minister of Environment refusing to appear—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
I want to make sure that she actually shows up for once.
Liberal
Wade Grant Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
I just want to reiterate to the committee that the minister is slated to come not just talk about the supplementaries; she's coming to talk about her mandate as well. That has been confirmed.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Angelo Iacono
What are you going to do about it? I did it already and he said what he had to say.
Is there any further debate?
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Motion as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
The meeting is adjourned.
