Mr. Chair, we have great concerns about the approach being taken. After 16 hours of studying what the environment commissioner has said is the most significant policy reform in environmental regulatory policy in 40 years in Canada, we're left with questions.
For example, what proportion of current assessments will no longer receive federal oversight given the repeal of the CEAA? What are the projected costs of the changes for each province and territory? What assessment of the adequacy of the environmental assessment process in each province and territory has been conducted? How will a federal project define whether or not a provincial process is equivalent to the federal process? These questions have not been answered.
National Chief Atleo said specifically that:
To date, first nations have not been engaged or consulted on any of the changes to the environmental and resource development regime proposed within Bill C-38.
There is a constitutional reality of self-government and treaty rights and a moral responsibility of any government to engage aboriginal and first nations on the changes to the fisheries.
We heard from a very respected former minister of fisheries—who happened to be a Progressive Conservative minister of fisheries—who said that these changes
...are totally watering down and emasculating the Fisheries Act.... They [will] really tak[e] the guts out of the Fisheries Act and it's in devious little ways if you read all the fine print [that] they are making...Swiss cheese out of [it].
The real scary part of this is that the one minister in Canada who has the constitutional duty to protect the fishery, which includes habitat, is the Fisheries Minister and these amendments essentially parcel out and water down his fiduciary responsibility, to the point that...he can delegate his responsibility to private-sector interests and individuals.
Again, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, I know that in the main body of the report the government members of the committee have expunged much of this testimony, but it's on the record. We've been given scant time as parliamentarians to do our jobs on this. The reality is that we are railroading these changes through Parliament without adequate consideration of the consequences, including many of the unintended consequences that will result from these changes.
I think it's very frustrating to Canadians. It's very frustrating to Canadians who are concerned about the environment. It is worrisome to Canadians who believe strongly in engagement with aboriginal and first nations people. It is something that could have devastating effects on our fisheries. I think overall it is also extremely disillusioning for Canadians who want to have a strong Parliament and a functional democracy.
I reiterate that for a political party whose genesis in part was the Reform Party, which came to Ottawa partly on the basis of accountability and respect for citizens and engagement...earlier today, I almost said Preston Manning would be rolling in his grave, but I realized he's not dead. I would say many of the principles he stood for when first elected are in the Conservative movement today. It is very disillusioning, I think, for Canadians who want to see Parliament work. I think it is one reason that we're seeing only about 20% of first-time eligible voters actually voting, because they don't think Parliament matters, and the Conservatives are ensuring that it doesn't matter.