Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development recently tabled their study, “Taking Action Today: Establishing Protected Areas for Canada's Future”. The report recently made recommendations on MPAs and included this:
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada ensure that no federal policy or legislation, such as the Mineral and Energy Resource Assessment and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act, slows the process of establishing protected areas. Further, no federal policy or legislation should impinge on minimum standards of protection established for that type of federal protected area....
My question is twofold, Mr. Morel. If this recommendation were implemented, how would this be written into legislation, and what would this mean for existing oil and gas rights?