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.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
I'm just thinking in terms of the number of people whom you would need to effectively administer this act.
I want to share the balance of my time with my colleague, because I know he has some questions as well.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Russ asked most of them, but I just want to follow up on the exception item you pointed out earlier. Automobiles are exempted from this.
Can you just go over again how you're going to exempt, or what would be the factors that would lead to an exemption, an exception, if you want to call it that, or that would lead to being included? You talked about that a bit, but I'd just like that cleared up for now.
Director General, Office of Energy Efficiency, Department of Natural Resources
Excuse me if I inferred that automobiles were exempt. The act gives the Government of Canada power to regulate things that fall within the description of the scope. The government has made a decision to regulate automobiles using a different instrument. In fact, the government made a decision to switch instruments, from the Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption Standards Act to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Just as a matter of interest, though, Mr. Cullen talked about deconstruction and taking the cars apart later or whatever. This could still give you the ability to regulate some parts and components of that, right? You're talking about energy use and stereo systems, or all the electronic systems that are in there.
Director General, Office of Energy Efficiency, Department of Natural Resources
Yes, that's right, but just because the act gives you the authority to establish a standard doesn't mean you have to. We choose--the government chooses. The government “may” establish standards. So right now the government has the intent to do 30 products in a four-year period. None of those include the automobile and none of those include paint.
Maybe the next time through some of those things will make the list, but they will go through a policy decision-making process where the government decides where it's going to establish standards and where it's not.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Can you just go over, then, what kinds of things are on that list of 30?
Director General, Office of Energy Efficiency, Department of Natural Resources
Sure, I'll let John respond.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I guess the one people have brought up with me is whether we're going to be regulating shower heads, and maybe we already do that, I don't know.
Conservative
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
They just changed them in our apartment building, so now I can stand under hot air while I'm trying to take a shower, but anyway, I'm just wondering if that's....
Director, Equipment Division, Department of Natural Resources
I could provide you with a list. Would that be the best way of dealing with that, rather than read you the 30 energy-using products that are on our current agenda?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Are there any further questions for the witnesses before we get into clause-by-clause? They will remain at the table for clause-by-clause.
Seeing none, are we ready to start clause-by-clause?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
All right. We have our legislative clerk here, ready to go through it.
Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of the preamble is postponed until the end, as is normal, so we'll start with clause 1.
(Clauses 1 to 4 inclusive agreed to)
(On clause 5--Information to be provided by dealers)
Bloc
France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC
Mr. Chair, I would like paragraph 5(2)(b) on page three of the French version of the bill to be translated into French. The paragraph is in English. There is a mistake in translation.
Conservative
Wayne Cole Procedural Clerk
It's just an amendment to the English text of the bill.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Oh, it is only an amendment to the English text. The French text remains the same. It's to coordinate, to bring the two into agreement.
Thank you.
Conservative
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
For Ms. Bonsant's information, it is probably that there was no error in the French version, so it does not need to be amended. It is the English text that needs to be amended. It is a language problem.