Natural Resources Committee on June 10th, 2014

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Does your correction only concern the English version?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Is it just a word missing in the English version only?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

I can't tell you if it's missing in the French.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

The French seems to be okay is the advice from the legislative clerk.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Okay.

Someone suggested that I needed to amend this—

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Do you want to protect your amendment?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

—to add the word “if”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Yes.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Before she tables it, is she changing it?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

First of all, can we have the word added that was missing in the English version of amendment G-4, which was again...? I'm sorry.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

It's “if”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

So it's at the start, “if”.

Yes, you moved it with the “if” in, so that's fine.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We don't have to do it that way.

Is there any further discussion on amendment G-4, with the wording that Ms. Block presented?

Yes, Ms. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

I would like to provide the rationale for it.

The convention provides for access to supplemental compensation from member countries to the convention. Wording in the bill references the minister's request for supplemental funds, not to the amount established when Canada ratifies the convention, but to the liability limit of the operator, which is also $1 billion. While this is not an issue today, because both numbers are the same today, for example, $1 billion, should the government decide to decrease the liability of the operator in the future, the minister's request for supplemental compensation will be inconsistent with the policy.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

You've heard the discussion. Is there any further discussion on amendment G-4?

Yes, Ms. Duncan.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I'm trying to follow this amendment, which is kind of peculiarly worded. You have “When”, and a big blank.

What precisely is being changed? Simply (b) under proposed subsection 71(1)?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

The text that is in front of you is what's being changed.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

The text in front of me says, replace with subsection “71.(1) When”, and then nothing. So you're removing everything else in section 71 and paragraph (a)?

[Joanne Kellerman]

Could I assist the committee?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Go ahead, please, Ms. Kellerman.

[Joanne Kellerman]

The motion is to replace the first two lines, lines 26 and 27, with the word “When” so it reads, “When a call for public funds is made under subsection 72(1) those funds are to be used to compensate...”. Then (b) says, replacing lines 30 to 32 with the words, “the damage that is suffered”. The way it would read is, “When a call for public funds is made under subsection 72(1), those funds are to be used to compensate the damage that is suffered...”.

The word “if”, in fact, is not intended to be part of the motion. That's a point of clarification.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

It's very confusing.

[Joanne Kellerman]

You have to track that line by line for this to make sense.