Evidence of meeting #132 for Natural Resources in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was peoples.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
It's the motion I put on notice on Friday, October 19, 2018.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
There are others. I've seen a few. I just want to make sure we have the right one in front of us.
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Sure, I'll read it:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Committee request the Minister of Natural Resources appear before the Committee, in the next month, to answer questions related to the Trans Mountain purchase and plans to build the Trans Mountain expansion, and that this meeting be televised.
I trust that the witnesses will understand and probably know that Canada is in a crisis in energy development. It is damaging Canada's reputation as a place that welcomes energy investment, where big projects can be built.
I do hope we'll be able to have you again in the course of this study and certainly invite you to follow up with written submissions, but we as Conservatives are at our wit's end in terms of being able to get our own Minister of Natural of Resources to come to this standing committee to account to Canadians on the outstanding construction of the Trans Mountain expansion—
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we do have the minister coming on the main estimates within the next month. I am wondering if it would be sufficient for Ms. Stubbs to have the opportunity to question the minister on the broad variety of things one can be questioned on with respect to the main estimates, including money allocated to TMX, at that time, and allow the witnesses who have come from abroad and who have made themselves available for this meeting to continue to be questioned. Or we could devote some time at a future meeting to having a second opportunity for the minister to come and speak to us on TMX in addition to the main estimates, if that would be amenable to her.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Thank you for that. I was going to suggest the same thing. I'll get back to you in a second, Ms. Stubbs, but we do have witnesses who have joined us from around the world, literally. It's been quite difficult to coordinate this, to get all three of them here. Rather than turning them away....
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Allow me to finish, please. We have made the request that the minister come, pursuant to the last motion you tabled, actually. He has agreed to do so. I can't remember the date off the top of my head. It's April 30, I've just been reminded. He will be coming—
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
—all members of the committee did vote to call the minister—
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
These Liberals really have problems with letting women speak. I'm the only woman member of this committee.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Actually, no, there's another one here. I'd like to acknowledge that.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
In any event, we have three witnesses here who have graciously given us their time. We have the minister coming. Mr. Whalen has suggested a very reasonable compromise, although that's entirely up to the committee members. We could set aside some time. We are sitting next week. That way we're not putting further witnesses out, and we can discuss this issue then. Since he is coming anyway, we're not losing any time, or you don't lose anything with respect to the nature of your motion, with all respect. That's my suggestion.
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Okay. Do you feel comfortable that you've concluded, and do I have your consent to speak?
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Okay. Here's my concern.
On February 26, all members of this committee did move to call the minister to appear here on the supplementary estimates, and I thought that we all had an agreement on that, and so far the minister has failed to appear. He's sitting in the House of Commons today, and he's been here multiple times when this committee has sat. It has been nearly five months since he has appeared here. He has not been accountable on the Trans Mountain purchase. He has not been accountable on the allocations in the estimates. Here we are, trying to get through a study, which, I agree, is extremely important but, I think, confounding, certainly to the indigenous communities that I represent, to the 43 indigenous communities who were counting on the completion of the Trans Mountain expansion...while Liberal legislation, dealing with exactly this issue of full-scale regulatory overhaul and consulting with indigenous communities to ensure the meaningful, the proper, the environmentally responsible and sustainable construction of major energy projects can continue. That legislation is sitting in the Senate right now. It never came through this committee. So here we are, trying to get through this study that—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
May I ask you a question?
What do you propose we do with the witnesses today?
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
I think you're trying to make it seem like it is urgent to complete. What is urgent is that the minister should have appeared in front of this committee four and a half months ago.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Okay.
If you intend to continue, and you have the right to do so, should we be good enough to dismiss the witnesses? We have 45 minutes left in the scheduled meeting, and if you're going to do that, I don't think they need to sit here and listen to it, although they're free to do so.