Natural Resources Committee on Nov. 27th, 2013

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

You have time for a very short question, Ms. Duncan.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

A short question? A short answer would be helpful.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Actually, you gave a two-minute-and-40-second question, Ms. Duncan.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I'm going to give a short question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

The minister took much less than that.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

A short answer would be helpful.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Go ahead, please.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Let's be fair to both sides.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

No, we can't be.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

The question is quite simple. There's another $12 million for advertising. That will bring us to $40 million on advertising in the department.

I took a look at your website, and it said that the majority of interests from the public in going to your website.... They're mostly interested in clean energy and energy efficiency.

Can you tell us what percentage of this $40 million on advertising for sustainable development, sustainable resources, and responsible development is going to the promotion of our renewable energy and our energy efficiency sectors?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

The advertisements are broad-based, broad-gauged, and are presenting the facts to the audiences in a general way, and includes our efforts to be responsible environmentally as well.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I'd appreciate a breakdown from the department, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you. We can get that.

Mr. Zimmer, I'll give you a couple of minutes for questions.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Thank you, Minister, for coming today. I appreciate your time here.

Actually, the member across the way asked a question I had about the single-window initiative, the efficiency it creates at the border, and how that thickening isn't really good for Canadians of any stripe. We want to make sure that trade happens, and happens efficiently. It doesn't mean any less scrutiny, by any means.

But that question has been asked, so I'll ask you about this instead. I'm a member from British Columbia, as you know, and a lot of my constituents have mentioned their concerns about tanker safety. I know how much our government is working on the file, especially tanker safety and a spill response regime that I think is world class and second to none.

I wanted to know, Minister, if you would mind explaining where that process is. We know the ministry is involved in going through that process now. Perhaps you could tell us just where the process is at.

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

This is a very important initiative. As a trading nation, Canada depends on marine shipping for economic growth, jobs, and prosperity. Oil and gas have been safely transported in Canadian waters for decades without a major incident, thanks to responsible players in the industry and a strong tanker safety system.

While the system has served Canada well, it's essential that we have in place a system that meets future needs. To this end, a suite of measures was introduced in March 2013 to ensure that we have world-class tanker safety. That's the standard for the transportation of all our resources—by tanker, by rail, or by pipeline.

A tanker safety expert panel was appointed and they will be reporting very soon. There was a reintroduction of the Safeguarding Canada's Seas and Skies Act to strengthen ship-source oil-spill preparedness and response as well as additional measures such as an incident command structure and increased tanker inspections. Inspections will be increased and we have to have an emergency response regime in place that would deal with any spill, in the very unlikely event of an accident, in a comprehensive and rapid way. That hasn't happened. There has never been a major spill on the west coast, but we have to have the response ready in case that unlikely event happens.

We have also required tankers to be double-hulled, to have pilots on board, and to be guided into port by tugs. Aerial surveillance and the most advanced navigation equipment are innovations that are in place now.

We've moved very significantly in this regard and we're going to make sure we're at the level that science and technology permits us to be, so that we provide world- class safety to British Columbians and all Canadians.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Thank you, Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Zimmer.

On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you very much, Minister, for being here today. I, too, appreciate your enthusiasm and, quite frankly, your knowledge of this file. You answered a wide range of questions today, not all dealing with supplementary estimates (B), but that is what happens when ministers appear quite often.

We will suspend the meeting for a couple of minutes as we change witnesses, and then we'll come back with witnesses from the department.

Thank you as well, Mr. Dupont, for being here for the first session.

The meeting is suspended.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We will reconvene the meeting dealing with the supplementary estimates (B).

For the second half of the meeting, we have from the Department of Natural Resources, Serge Dupont, Deputy Minister together with Kami Ramcharan, assistant deputy minister and chief financial officer, corporate management and services sector. Welcome to both of you.

Do you have opening comments to make? No? You're ready to go right to questions and comments. We'll start with Mr. Allen.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and my thanks to our officials for staying the second hour for us to ask a few questions.

Ultimately, when you look at the supplementary (B)s, the net net of all this is $1.9 million, as was stated in the first hour when the minister was here.

New appropriations are reduced by $30.9 million. Could you elaborate for the committee on where that $30 million is coming from? Is that coming from savings within the department identified in other areas? Could you identify which areas those savings are coming from?

[Serge Dupont, Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources]

First, thank you for the question. There are some savings arising from, in particular, a reduction in travel expenditures that has been applied across the board by the government. That accounts for one portion of the savings.

There are also moneys that had been previously allocated to the Clean Energy Fund. Some of the project partners have not come through with the actual projects, the actual expenditures. Therefore, those moneys are no longer available to be allocated to those projects.

Instead of being appropriated, we are using other moneys and not spending moneys previously earmarked. What the Treasury Board does is it basically reduces those amounts to reduce the amount that has to be voted as new estimates.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Basically, it's dollars that are able to come out of this year's funding because we didn't have proponents on a kick-up—

[Serge Dupont]

Exactly.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

I can't imagine travel is going to be a significant amount of that $30 million. At least I hope it's not.

[Serge Dupont]

The travel is $600,000.

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Okay, so it's a small portion.

[Serge Dupont]

Yes.

The rest is largely the clean energy part.