Environment Committee on Dec. 1st, 2025

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

By the end of the year, you're going to table a document that will show that Canada is able to meet its 2030 reduction target.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

It will show where we stand, and it's my job to continue to do the work.

The other choice is not to try. That's not a choice for our country.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

You know very well where I stand on this matter. We're asking you to do the work, but it's not happening right now.

Have you assessed the impact of removing the clean electricity regulations on greenhouse gas emissions reductions? How much will removing regulations increase emissions?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I don't agree with the word “remove”. That's why I always say that, according to our regulations, even when it comes to industrial pricing, I can make agreements with provinces on how to achieve the objectives.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

However, with Alberta, you're going to remove it. It's in your—

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Thank you.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Is my time up already, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Yes.

I would like to thank the minister for this appearance. The officials will remain for the remainder of the meeting.

The meeting will briefly suspend.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

The meeting is resumed.

The committee is resuming its study of the supplementary estimates (B) 2025-26.

Instead of continuing, I decided to start over so that I could give all committee members six minutes.

We'll start again with the Conservative Party.

Mr. Ross, the floor is yours for six minutes.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

In terms of the implementation of the budget and whatnot, I'm still kind of hazy on how we deal with aboriginal issues within the context of the government dealing with, say, major projects in Canada. Can one of the witnesses describe to me how that's dealt with, and what kinds of costs and what kinds of resources are put toward that?

[Terence Hubbard, President, Impact Assessment Agency of Canada]

Thank you for the question.

We have a well-defined process and approach for fulfilling our obligations, both our legal duty to consult and also the government's commitments under the UN declaration.

As you noted earlier in your remarks to the minister, through the Impact Assessment Act, there are many specific provisions and commitments throughout the assessment of major projects that are articulated to support fulfillment of these obligations.

Through the creation of Bill C-5 and the creation of the Major Projects Office, the government has been very clear that both its commitment to our legal obligations—legal duty to consult—and our commitments to the UNDA continue to hold.

Through our assessment process on major projects, we are committed to striving to achieve consent, and there's a well-defined approach and process through the assessment process to achieve these objectives.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you for bringing up Bill C-5 and the Major Projects Office, because that was in my next question. It's my understanding that the Major Projects Office will not have any substance underneath it to fulfill the obligations that it's been tasked with.

I'm assuming that the Major Projects Office will rely heavily on the existing processes to deal with those legislative requirements, and also the regulatory requirements, for that matter. Am I correct? Or is the Major Projects Office going to develop its own procedures and regulations and whatnot?

[Terence Hubbard]

I think it's a combination. Through the new legislative framework, there are specific procedures and steps the government must take in designating a process.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Would the Major Projects Office develop its own regulations in response to fast-tracking or rely heavily on existing legislation regulations?

[Terence Hubbard]

Both, because there are new steps that are taken into consideration, and a government decision to designate a project under Bill C-5—

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Oh. I see—

[Terence Hubbard]

—but if something is designated under Bill C-5—

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

That's more enabling legislation, though, and I don't think they're going to rework the existing legislation or regulations.

[Terence Hubbard]

Right. Once a project is designated under Bill C-5, if that were to happen, processes and approaches, including the Impact Assessment Act if it were to apply in the absence of Bill C-5, would continue to apply moving forward. Those same approaches and processes that we have in place would continue to apply.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Okay. Thank you.

The projected window is two years in terms of fast-tracking, and it's still to be determined if the pipeline from Alberta to B.C. will be fast-tracked. That's not a definite. There are a lot of ifs and ands in that MOU, but in terms of fast-tracking, has your department been told about fast-tracking first nations interests in relation to this pipeline in the two-year window?

[Terence Hubbard]

We have adopted a service standard of two years, not just for projects that undergo Bill C-5, but for all major projects, all projects that are subject to the Impact Assessment Act.

We are working towards being able to deliver assessments within a two-year timeline, including our legal duty to consult and our commitments to indigenous groups as part of these assessment processes.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

The two-year timeline you're talking about, that's just a guideline, though. That's not a set time limit, right?

[Terence Hubbard]

The legislation, our legislation, has maximum timelines established in the legislative framework. We're setting certain standards within those—

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

A maximum timeline for aboriginal rights and title consultation and accommodation to be concluded...? There's a two-year time limit...?