Evidence of meeting #16 for Finance in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was genome.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
I call the meeting to order. This is the 16th meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance. We are continuing our review of Bill C-9, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 4, 2010, and other measures.
Colleagues, we are continuing with our review, part-by-part, of the bill. We did get to part 20.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
The vice-chair, who I understand was very efficient and very popular with government members, got us to part 20. We will hopefully get through parts 20 to 24 today. It will obviously depend on the number of questions.
Today we have some officials with us from the Department of the Environment. Am I correct on that?
3:30 p.m.
Yves Leboeuf Vice-President, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.
3:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. Welcome. Thank you for being with us this afternoon.
Colleagues, we will proceed with the same five-minute rounds. We will start with questions.
I have Mr. McCallum.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
I have a few short questions.
Why do you think it's important that the public not be consulted or not be permitted to give their views prior to the government determining the scope of an environmental review?
3:30 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Well, what is being proposed in the amendments is not to narrow the scope of the project. In conditions that would have to be made public, it's basically to create an authority for the Minister of the Environment to establish in which circumstances it would be possible to focus the assessment on certain components of the project.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
As I understand it, the public would not really be consulted prior to the determination by the minister of what that scope would be.
3:30 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
It's something that is still pending at this point. There is no legal requirement in the act to have public consultation on the conditions the minister would establish. That doesn't mean there can't be public consultation; that's something that's not been determined at this point in time.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
But the minister would have the authority to determine the scope prior to having any public consultation, if he or the cabinet so desired?
3:30 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
That's correct. They could decide not to consult the public. The minister could decide to establish conditions and make them public and authorize a narrower scope.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
I wonder if you could give us examples of the types of projects that, through these new measures, might not require any assessment at all and currently do require assessment.
3:30 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Sure. First, there is nothing in the proposed amendments that would exclude projects from the requirements of environmental assessments that are not already excluded.
When you look at the package of amendments being proposed here, they essentially cover three things. The first is to make permanent some exclusions that are already in existence and that were introduced by regulations a year ago and make them permanent now. These are exactly the same exclusions that were covered in those regulations a year ago and the same circumstances when public infrastructure projects are to benefit from federal funding under specified programs. Those programs are the same as those that were set out in those regulations last year.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Maybe it would be helpful if you could refresh our memories by summarizing those categories of projects that were excluded temporarily before and are now going to be excluded permanently. Which types of projects would those include?
3:30 p.m.
John D. Smith Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Those are the projects that are set out in the schedule to the bill. There's a variety of projects--14 classes of them. To summarize, they deal with modification or construction of various types of buildings in certain circumstances.
They deal with construction of public transit facilities or bus rapid transit systems. There are several that deal with expansion of public transit systems, roads or highways, or modification or widening of a bridge. There's an exclusion that deals with construction of facilities for treatment of potable water and similarly for facilities for waste water treatment. Lastly, there are a variety of exclusions related to recreational facilities, such as pools or rinks, sports fields, community parks, and so on.
That's an overview specific to the 14 classes.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
It sounds like a very extensive list of things.
Thank you very much.
3:30 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Along that vein, why was it temporary last year and permanent this year? I didn't catch that part. This year all the money in the stimulus funding is going to lapse, so shouldn't it be temporary again this year?
3:35 p.m.
Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
The exclusions are tied to projects that are funded under 14 or 15 specific funding programs. You're right, many of those will expire at the end of this year, but there are some, notably the Building Canada plan, that don't expire. Those will continue. So there very well may be projects that are partway through construction at the end of this year that would be funded under those programs.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I didn't hear all of your answer to Mr. McCallum, but all the amendments last year were temporary?
3:35 p.m.
Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Yes, the whole schedule of those 14 classes were all subject to a sunset clause at the end of next month.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
But there was something related to waterways, or navigable waters, and that didn't touch the environment section at all?
3:35 p.m.
Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Policy Development, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
No, those were amendments to a separate piece of legislation.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
