Evidence of meeting #25 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 vehicles.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Thank you to my colleague Patrick Bonin of the Bloc Québécois.
Hello, Minister.
I don't like omnibus bills. This one is enormous, at over 600 pages. I'd been reading for quite a while when I wondered why the International River Improvements Act is being amended, and why the Canada Wildlife Act is being amended. Why is the Migratory Birds...? I was finally, of course, able to trace it down to the fact that we're creating a new tribunal, the Environmental Protection Tribunal. It is hard to read word for word through 600 pages. I almost missed division 5. We'll talk about that some other day.
We've had experience with the Canadian Environmental Protection Act for about 30 years, and now we're creating something called an Environmental Protection Tribunal and wrapping up a role we're familiar with in terms of chief review officers.
I wonder how this will affect judicial reviews. We've had—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Angelo Iacono
I'm sorry. You'll have to come up with a question for a short answer.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
The question is why. What's the background? What's the rationale for the Environmental Protection Tribunal, and will it be a quasi-judicial body?
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
I'm pretty much out of time, but I'll say that we continue to remain strong on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and on our wildlife protections.
I'd be happy to talk with you further off-line when we're done.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Angelo Iacono
Thank you, Minister.
Thank you, Ms. May.
Mr. Bexte, the floor is yours for five minutes.
Conservative
David Bexte Conservative Bow River, AB
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, witnesses, for attending today.
I find it frustrating coming to committee sometimes, especially when divisive, evasive comments come from the minister.
I have a question related to plastics and the recent changes. You've labelled plastic straws, utensils and bags as toxic. Why is it okay for Canada to make plastic bags and straws and send them to other countries, export them for good economic reasons, but it's not okay for Canadians to use them?
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
First, let me say that we recently had a decision from the Federal Court of Appeal that actually supported something that the Conservatives have fought us on all along, by the way, which is not only that plastics can be toxic to the environment but also that the federal government has the ability to be involved in it.
Conservative
David Bexte Conservative Bow River, AB
I understand that, but why are you allowing the export of products that we can't use here at home?
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
To continue, because this is shocking news that now the Conservatives are actually supporting having a listing of plastics as toxic, I have not heard that support—
Conservative
David Bexte Conservative Bow River, AB
I'm wondering about the regulatory hypocrisy. It's something that we've been using domestically and globally for a long time, safely, hygienically. These are wonderful products. All of a sudden, we can't use them in Canada. Now the government does a backflip, and we export them for economic reasons, but we can't use them at home. Why?
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
I'm really pushing back on the first part of your question, to start with. I think the Federal Court was quite clear that the sea otter choking on a plastic straw isn't going to care about its chemical composition. I think we have seen, and Canadians have seen—
Conservative
David Bexte Conservative Bow River, AB
That's a mechanical risk, not a toxic risk. You're obfuscating.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
The court actually found it was a toxic risk. That was actually their finding.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
The thing is, beyond that piece, I think that most Canadians—
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
What I would say on that piece—but I'm celebrating the first part, the part about us having taken these steps on plastics—
Conservative
David Bexte Conservative Bow River, AB
That's great. Why are we exporting them? Don't divert into other avenues.
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
With what I control and what we control.... We control what we do in this country, and we stand up for the best. We're working on global treaty negotiations so that we can move away from plastic waste globally and—
Conservative
David Bexte Conservative Bow River, AB
Where does most of the plastic waste hit the oceans? What part of the world?
Liberal
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
I do not have that global piece, as to which part of the world, but we have the world's longest coastline, so we would have real issues from coast to coast to coast.
