Environment Committee on Oct. 9th, 2025

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Do you think there should be more funding for the energy transition and actions to address climate change than the $9.1 billion announced in 2022?

[Dawn Farrell]

I have no comment about that.

I don't know, Mr. Labonté or Ms. Jackson, whether you can add to that, but....

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Thank you, but I was looking to hear your opinion.

As we know, the Building Canada Act aims to expedite project approval, not reject projects. Some provisions even provide for the possibility of bypassing legislation.

So, you have to do summary assessments. What experience do you have assessing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change in terms of the factors considered?

[Dawn Farrell]

If I step back from it and look at the major projects that we'll be looking at, the total value of those projects to contribute to Canada's goals around economics and clean growth—

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Excuse me—

[Dawn Farrell]

—and executable projects—

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

My question was about your level of climate change and assessment experience.

[Dawn Farrell]

Yes, I'm going to get to that.

If you look at the total amount for projects that we're assessing, it's in the range of $500 billion over, so far, 10 years—and we think that should go up.

My expertise comes from 35 years of experience in electricity, two years of building a pipeline and over 40 years of working on climate change policy and systems in Canada, which I started in 1987—probably before many people who are on this committee.... I'm an economist and CEO by training.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

My question is about—

[Dawn Farrell]

I'm a financial expert, and I provide all of those—

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

My question is about your climate change-related environmental assessment experience.

Could you share a document with the committee summarizing your experience?

[Dawn Farrell]

Yes, I have expertise in that from developing major projects and from going through processes in all of my jobs on environmental assessments.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Sorry to interrupt, but you can send the committee a document summarizing your experience.

[Dawn Farrell]

Sure, that would be great.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Thank you.

Is the Major Projects Office subject to the Lobbying Act?

[Dawn Farrell]

Mr. Labonté or Sarah, would you like to reply?

[Jeff Labonté]

Yes—

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Could we have a quick answer, please?

[Jeff Labonté]

The answer is yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Thank you very much.

Before we proceed, I would like to say something to all committee members.

To help the interpreters do their job, please avoid asking a question while a witness is answering, as this makes interpreting more difficult.

Please ask your question, then give the witness time to respond.

Thank you very much.

Next, I give the floor to the Conservative Party.

Mr. Ross, you have the floor for five minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am intrigued with the conversation on LNG Canada phase two.

I was the chief councillor with the Haisla Nation, which actually brought that to Canada in B.C. and signed an impact and benefits agreement with the company. I was surprised to hear that it is up for reapproval. I assume phase two is up for approval for some sort of reason, but I'm not sure. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada said there are no outstanding authorizations needed by Canada.

Ms. Farrell, you said something interesting about opening up phase two for opportunities for first nations to participate. I seem to recall our IBA having no such clause. In fact, if anything, that was mutually excluded because of corporation laws and international laws that were put forward by LNG Canada.

Can you elaborate on what the opportunity is for first nations to participate in phase two?

[Dawn Farrell]

Let me be clear, because I've probably confused everybody here.

The LNG phase two was referred to our office. Our job is to look at what the remaining hurdles are for LNG to go to a FID—final investment decision. FID is expected some time in 2026, and we're working with all of the project proponents to ensure that all of the loose ends are tied up.

There is no need—and my colleagues will confirm this—for additional environmental assessments. Those are already done, but there are some loose ends in order for the project's proponents to want to allocate $33 billion to the project in a final decision, which they must make so that they can decide to build the project. As part of discussions with LNG Canada, they have asked us to ensure there is access to the loan guarantee program in Canada and that we help facilitate that so there is participation.

That's really what I meant to say.

I don't know, Mr. Labonté, if you want to clarify that.

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

I only have five minutes, but thank you for that.

In terms of the loan guarantee, is that basically being earmarked for, say, equity or for contracts?

[Dawn Farrell]

Yes, and I think it can be any of the above. That's yet to be decided. That's work I haven't undertaken personally and that we need to do with the first nations there to see what they want.

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

Is there an opportunity for first nations to be equity owners in phase two of LNG Canada?