Environment Committee on May 26th, 2026

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

I'll repeat my question—

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

This strategy will ensure consistency for the provinces and territories. These 13 entities work in silos, as we're seeing right now on the climate front.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

What's ultimately standing in the way of greater consistency?

From a legal and administrative standpoint, what's preventing the government from doing this today? That was my question, and I didn't get an answer.

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

At this time, the different provinces aren't collaborating.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

However, you don't need a bill to promote collaboration.

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

I need a bill to be able to do this type of process, because I'm a member of Parliament.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

However, we need—

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

I need to go through this process to be able to do something of this nature.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Okay.

Tell your government to take concrete action instead of debating a bill that it doesn't need.

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

For me, this bill is very important and we need it. Some people have asked us for it. I also think that it's important to have a national strategy on droughts and floods.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Okay. That's fine. I understood.

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

You may not think that it's important, but it's very important to me.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shannon Miedema]

Thank you, Mr. Bonin.

We will now turn to Mr. Leslie for five minutes.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for being here, Ms. Auguste.

I'd like to continue on the path my colleague was on.

This bill requires Minister Dabrusin to develop a national strategy for flood and drought forecasting. The commentary has been on what might be in that strategy, but that's what this bill is. It's a plan to make a plan. It passed in the House of Commons but not the Senate. Parliament was prorogued. That was about 18 months ago. I understand why you brought it forward again.

In the bill, there is a two-year window for the minister to come back with a strategy. Given that there was unanimous support in the last Parliament, why do you think the minister hasn't brought forth a strategy of her own accord, without this legislation?

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

I couldn't speak to why the Minister of the Environment hasn't done such things.

It's a bill that is important to me. That's why, when I had a chance to do a private member's bill, it was one of the things I wanted to bring back.

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

Are you a member of the Liberal climate caucus? Would that be an avenue to try to get the government to take action, rather than going through the very lengthy process of reintroducing a private member's bill?

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

I'm sorry. I didn't catch the first part of what you said.

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

I understand there was a meeting of the Liberal climate caucus last night. I'm curious about whether you were there and whether you think it is an avenue for your own party to bring this to government, so we don't have to—again—wait however long it's going to take this bill to pass before the minister takes action.

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

No, I was not at a meeting last night. Thank you for asking.

I'm working on this bill out of my care for the environment and the issues my community has faced regarding floods and droughts.

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

What provincial governments have you talked to about this bill?

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

I have not spoken to provincial governments.

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

You have spoken to none of them.

I feel it would be useful to know what they think before a minister is mandated to create a strategy that includes them.

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

I didn't engage in formal conversations with the provincial governments, again because of resources—it's a private member's bill—but the bill prescribes collaboration. It's not a forced thing. It's really about what everybody's willing to bring to the table for the greater good.

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

We had the commissioner of the environment here a couple of weeks ago. He recently wrote a rather scathing report on a flood mapping disaster out of Natural Resources Canada and ECCC that has wasted at least $11.5 million of taxpayers' money.

What are your thoughts on that report, and how would this bill potentially interact with that?

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

I did read the report, and I think some of the recommendations in this report would be fully or partially addressed by Bill C-241.