Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 30th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

I'm just suspending the meeting. I fully hope that we will have some opportunity to question further.

If members hurry back after the vote, we should have some time for questions and some answers, and then we'll want to vote on the supplementary estimates before 5:30.

Thanks, colleagues.

We'll suspend now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Members, we will call this meeting back to order. We are still considering the estimates.

The officials are here with us for the next number of minutes.

Colleagues, we will want to complete our questioning by 5:20 so that we can vote on the estimates.

We will now turn to Monsieur Genest-Jourdain, for seven minutes.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Have you initiated any new federal laws with your cabinet to ensure environmental assessment and regulation on first nations' lands, including in the north?

[Michael Wernick]

The department of Environment is in charge of environmental assessments on reserves. It works with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency on projects on reserves. However, there is no bill per se.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Are there directions or measures to apply in order to help populations that have problems with, for example, oil spills or things like that, in isolated communities, say North of 53?

Are there directives on that?

[Michael Wernick]

There is a legal framework for oil development on reserves. It is the Indian Oil and Gas Act. During the last Parliament, several amendments have been passed, and the act has been updated. We are now implementing the new regulatory framework. This is done with the full cooperation of the first nations who own these resources. The Indian Resource Council is the custodian of this process.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

So the communities must be directly engaged in the review process?

[Michael Wernick]

That's something else. Consultations about pipelines going through aboriginal lands and reserves are led by regulatory agencies, such as the National Energy Board or the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. They operate in a set fashion, and the process is financed by a third party.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

This is a question I would have liked to ask the minister, but do you have plans to clean up the school property in Attawapiskat?

[Michael Wernick]

I don't have any specifics about that community, but I'll forward the answer to your clerk.

We manage contaminated site all over the country, in the North and in the South. I know your committee looks into this. The program has just been renewed for five years. We are now priorizing the sites and rehabilitating them according to a five-year plan.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

I'll now leave the floor to my colleague.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Thanks, Chair.

I'm just going back to some of the items in the main estimates. One of them is “Northern Land, Resources and Environmental Management”. The budget was reduced from $293 million in 2010-11 to $73 million this year. Could you tell me what programs have been sunsetted or eliminated under that?

[Michael Wernick]

I'll have to check with my colleagues. I'm guessing that the main estimates reflect the fact that there was sunsetting. Main estimates are usually prepared before the beginning of the fiscal year and do not reflect decisions taken in the budget. I know that this frustrating for committees like this. Whatever was renewed in the budget shows up in supplementary estimates (A), supplementary estimates (B), or supplementary estimates (C).

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Do you have anything that's been added to Northern Land, Resources and Environmental Management in supplementary estimates (B)?

[Michael Wernick]

In this particular package, no. But there will still be supplementary estimates (C) this year. I can certainly find out if there is something. My understanding is that there will be three rounds of supplementary estimates this year.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Will you get back to us with that information?

[Michael Wernick]

I'm checking with colleagues if I can get it before we leave.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Once again, under “Contribution for promoting the safe use, development, conservation and protection of the North’s natural resources”, you went from $82 million in 2010-11 down to $24 million.

[Michael Wernick]

If you are reading from the main estimates, I'm sure that what we are discussing are sunsetters. I'd be happy to look into that.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Within the overall budget, then, would you see there being additions to these areas in the supplementary estimates?

[Michael Wernick]

You'd have to look at the spending this year, which would be in the main estimates, plus supplementary estimates (A), plus supplementary estimates (B), plus supplementary estimates (C).

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Do you have anything in supplementary estimates (B) in this particular category?

[Michael Wernick]

I think the initiative about cumulative impact monitoring programs announced in the budget is actually in this package. There's some money for Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

How much was that?

[Michael Wernick]

I understand it was $9.6 million. There is some money in this particular package to underwrite the Beaufort regional environmental assessment the minister mentioned, which is an environmental assessment for the whole delta and offshore area. Instead of one assessment per project, the one for the region will cover multiple projects.