Evidence of meeting #18 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 pipeline.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Liberal
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
We will return with the details of the comprehensive expenditure review when they are tabled in the main estimates. I'll be able to do a breakdown at that point. I believe you have the numbers that were tabled, the fiscal profile that was in the budget of how those will impact the department. I'll be happy to talk about them then.
I would say that on the 15% reduction that has us focused on core mandate, we'll be looking at operational efficiencies and how we're able to do our work in a more effective way, but that 15% is not a target at Environment and Climate Change. It is consistent if you look at the other departments that are similar in size, medium-sized economic departments. We are really looking at about the same size as equal departments.
Thank you.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Chair, before we start the clock, perhaps I could get some clarity. Is this the last round of this meeting, or is there another round due to the late start?
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Like, 15 minutes; the meeting started two minutes late because the minister didn't show up on time.
Conservative
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
This is the last round? Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to start with a question that the minister did not answer effectively during her time here. At the International Maritime Organization, this federal Liberal government voted in favour of what will be up to a $500-per-tonne carbon tax. Has the department done any sort of modelling regarding this tax in terms of what the average cost would be for Canadians?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
This file is led by our colleagues at the Department of Transport. I think inquiring of them would be the right way to go.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Okay.
In terms of emissions reductions planning, if that were to go into place, would Canada take any credit for any emissions that were reduced from the tax?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
I don't have the answer to that. We will work collaboratively with our colleagues in the other department to support them. At this stage, I don't have an answer to provide you with.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Okay.
Picking up on my colleague's questions regarding some of the policies that are being removed, I know that it's 2035 for the introduction of the clean electricity regulations. Has there been modelling done as part of the 2035 to 2050 emissions reduction plan, because I know we're doing this in segments, if specifically Alberta were not to have that come into place in 2035 and/or if there were carve-outs for other provinces and/or the entire country post-2035? What impact would that have on our 2040 and/or 2050 emissions reduction targets?
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
For precision, are you asking about carve-outs related to the clean electricity regulations?
Conservative
Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
To be clear, all of the data related to megatonnes based on what exists right now is in the RIAS that is public and transparently available. That is thing one.
With respect to any changes related to that, we have a lot of work to do with Alberta to determine what the path forward looks like to be able to determine if there would be adjustments to our megatonne allocation associated with that measure. The MOU does say that it is TIER and other related rules that we are going to have to assess as we are doing that work with them up to April 1.
I am not in any way trying to be difficult, but we do really understand that we have some work to do.
