That's what I indicated.
Evidence of meeting #17 for Natural Resources in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was products.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #17 for Natural Resources in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was products.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
4:20 p.m.
Bloc
April 28th, 2009 / 4:20 p.m.
John Craig Legal Counsel, Department of Natural Resources
I'll attempt to answer the question. Paragraph 20(1)(b) of the English version of the act would be amended by removing the word “prescribed” before “classes of energy-using products” to bring it into accordance with the wording in the French version of the act. So there is no need to amend the French version of the act--only the English version.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
4:20 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
4:20 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
4:20 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
4:20 p.m.
Some hon. members
Agreed.
4:20 p.m.
An hon. member
What about the reprint?
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
There is no need for a reprint. There was no amendment. Thank you for that.
All right. Thank you very much to Ms. Buckley, Mr. Cockburn, and Mr. Craig, and to the legislative clerk for being here today for this.
We have the first part of our agenda finished. We will now go to the main estimates for 2009-10 for the Department of Natural Resources.
Mr. Cullen, did you have a question, a comment, or a point of order before we get started?
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
It's a question--on page 19-6, for those following along at home--around the federal response to the mountain pine beetle infestation.
I don't know if the parliamentary secretary is able to answer. We've done just about everything we can with government--
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
It's under “Total grants”, “Contributions”. I'm referring to the general estimates document. This is where I found it. On the pages in your general estimates book, it is page 19-6. It's under “Transfer Payments”, under “Contributions”, which is the second body of moneys. This is the one that begins with “Payments to the Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Resource Revenue Fund”.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Okay, can we start with vote 1? That's in vote 5.
We don't have any witness for this.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
We've tried this with witnesses as well, in a sense trying to get some clarification before we get to the vote from the parliamentary secretary. So I actually haven't phrased the question yet.
Essentially, the Prime Minister came to Prince George a number of years ago and made a commitment towards this fund. The commitment was $100 million per year for 10 years. I notice this budget deals with just the two we're looking at in the main estimates.
We simply can't find the money. We've put questions on the order paper, questions directly in question period, every bit of research that we can through the Library of Parliament to find out the totals that were committed and the total spent. This is the total commitment, and I see it dropping from approximately $30.1 million down to $8.7 million.
I'm wondering if the parliamentary secretary has any notes or any assistance that could help clarify what it is, because as we go through these votes, Chair, I don't know if it's buried somewhere else. I can't even get a--
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Cullen, our researcher/analyst has referred to a document we got from the Department of Natural Resources on April 7 of this year. It was in response to the minister appearing before this committee. We had asked for some information, and she provided that. It is the first chart in the appendix, and it does have that broken down.
We have a copy here, if you'd like to have it, for fiscal years 2006-07 and 2007-08, estimated 2008-09, and 2009-10 projected--for a total of $186,719,000.
4:25 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
So perhaps this is a procedural point then, Chair. I know sometimes we draw on witnesses when they're here and they offer to provide documentation to us as a committee. We've been doing everything we can to get a hold of this one. What is the actual procedure when documents come to the research department, or to you, in terms of distribution? This would have been great to have.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Mr. Cullen, it was distributed. The clerk, immediately on receipt of these, sends them out to every member of the committee.
The clerk works on behalf of the whole committee. As chair, I work on behalf of the whole committee. On something like that, I'm not even consulted; the clerk just sends it out to everyone. Okay?
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Excellent.
I cast no aspersions; I was looking for procedure. I'll yell at my office, then.
