Evidence of meeting #39 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 forecasting.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shannon Miedema
Thank you, Mr. Bonin.
We will now go to Mr. Leslie for five minutes.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'd like to move over to Ag Canada. In the context of this bill, which is seeking to have not only a drought strategy, at least, but a moisture or a flooding strategy, it seems as though the government's drought policy itself is a bit backwards. We're prepared to create a bureaucracy that predicts drought, while we are simultaneously cutting our agricultural research science that helps farmers survive it. Could you help square this circle for me?
Dr. Aman Deep Director, Science and Technology Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Thank you for the question.
As part of the comprehensive expenditure review, I think, for agriculture, our focus was to reduce the overhead and to minimize the impact on the science capacity, to the extent possible. With that in mind, there is no impact on the capacity we used to monitor drought, and we will continue those activities within our current programming. That's why—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Are you going to guarantee today that none of the seven research station closings that are happening, one of them in my hometown, will delay the development, the testing, the registration or the commercialization of any drought-resistant seed varieties?
Director, Science and Technology Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
No, I have said that it's the capacity linked to the drought monitoring, per se. It's the specific group that produces the Canadian drought monitor. That capacity has not been impacted.
In terms of sustainability, we will continue to work on developing those drought-resistant varieties. We will continue to work on soil health and improved water retention. We'll also continue to work on—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
I'm sorry to interrupt, but specific crop breeding, field trials, water-use efficiency trials and drought adaptation projects are specifically being cancelled as part of this. That's what's being cut. That's why it's at direct odds. Sure, we can predict the drought, but if we're not helping our farmers develop drought-resistant wheat seeds, for example, it seems to be very much at odds.
Director, Science and Technology Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
I would like to highlight that we will continue to have capacity in crop and horticulture breeding. We will continue to have capacity in soil health and management. Sometimes when we close a site, it doesn't mean we will close all the programs. Some of the programs are being consolidated and relocated at our other centres—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Again, the relocation is the problem. The purpose of multiple testing zones is to have different climatic zones, different moisture conditions and different prairie climates. That's the entire purpose. You take a seed through development and make sure it can be grown everywhere. The greatest outcome of this is AAC Brandon, the largest wheat commodity grown across Canada.
I just don't understand how this will increase our drought resilience in any way, shape or form.
Director, Science and Technology Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
We do recognize that local conditions matter. That's why we will continue to have those 17 centres across Canada going forward as well. Wherever there is a need to do research within the local community, we will continue to partner with our partners in academia and private organizations. That's what we have already been doing.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Do you accept that having fewer research stations means fewer scientists working on those locally adapted trials and variety developments that directly impact the drought- or moisture-resistant seeds?
Director, Science and Technology Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
As I have said, I would like to highlight that for crop breeding and production, we will continue to have strong capacity across Canada, including—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
We're the government; just trust us. I struggle with that.
I'll go back to the Canada Water Agency with my last question.
What benchmarks can Parliament use to judge whether the Canada Water Agency is delivering value for money? Again, what are those targets, timelines and outcomes that should determine whether or not as an agency you are succeeding? If that's something you want to provide in writing, I'm more than happy to hear that too.
Director General, Freshwater Policy and Engagement, Canada Water Agency
Certainly, we will provide that in writing.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
With that, Madam Chair, you're probably aware or have heard about the CBC story of 14 Liberal MPs writing a letter to the Prime Minister—
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
—about the government abandoning all sorts of environmental policies, so I would like to table the following motion.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shannon Miedema
Hold on one moment, Mr. Leslie. There's a point of order.
Go ahead, Mr. Malette.
Liberal
Chris Malette Liberal Bay of Quinte, ON
I fail to see the scope of this line of questioning as it refers to Bill C-241, Madam Chair. I question the relevance.
Conservative
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
As I was saying, we have probably all heard the news about 14 Liberal MPs writing a letter to the Prime Minister about the government abandoning all sorts of environmental policies.
I would like to table the following notice of motion for future consideration:
That the committee request that the Office of the Prime Minister provide, in both official languages, an unredacted copy of the letter reportedly sent to the Prime Minister at the end of April 2026 by 14 Liberal Members of Parliament concerning environmental policy, clean electricity regulations, climate change, and the government’s credibility, as reported by CBC/Radio-Canada in the article titled “14 Liberal MPs pen letter to Carney raising concerns over environmental backslide,” published on May 22, 2026; and that the letter be provided to the clerk of the committee no later than seven days following the adoption of this motion.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shannon Miedema
Thank you, Mr. Leslie.
We will continue with our questioning.
I will turn to Mr. Watchorn and Mr. Grant for five minutes.
Liberal
Tim Watchorn Liberal Les Pays-d'en-Haut, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you again to the witnesses for being here today.
I'd like to mention that it's MP Grant's birthday this week.
Liberal
Tim Watchorn Liberal Les Pays-d'en-Haut, QC
I'm glad to share my time with him—this week.
We were speaking about the importance of the private member's bill. I'd like you to elaborate a little bit on how the private member's bill will not force but will make sure that the departments all get together and establish a strategy to make sure that flood prediction and drought prediction are better served in the provinces and municipalities.