Natural Resources Committee on May 4th, 2017

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

And with all due respect to my colleague across the way, the reason we asked it is that you've already announced a carbon tax. And now you are studying it. Shouldn't that have been studied before the carbon tax was announced?

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

We're dealing with facts here. On Mr. McKay's point, I think they've already answered the question that you asked. You're delving into issues beyond—

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

How about this, Mr. Chair? We'll ask that the department come back at a later date.

Is the government studying the impact that a potential American border adjustment tax would have on the Canadian energy sector?

[Christyne Tremblay]

Mr. Chair, it's a hypothetical question. I think the government and the minister are really engaged with his counterpart with the U.S. He's been there, even last week. And at this point, I'm not going to elaborate more.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Thank you.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

There's still time? Great.

Currently in Canada oil and gas companies do not have a way to get products to tidewater. The main estimates show that $60,190,597 has been allotted to market access and diversification. Can you explain what the funds are used for, and what impact did the decision not to proceed with northern gateway have on market access and diversification?

[Christyne Tremblay]

Mr. Chair, the Government of Canada made the commitment to only approve projects that are in the public interest. The northern gateway project was determined not to be in the public interest because it would have brought crude oil tankers through the Douglas Channel.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

With all due respect again, I'm asking what the funds are used for, the $60,190,597.

[Christyne Tremblay]

Mr. Chair, we're going to take the question and come back with a response.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Thank you.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

In the departmental plan for Natural Resources Canada, under investment in natural resource sectors, you have stated that your department's target for a five-year average growth rate of capital expenditures for minerals and metals is for it to be equal to or greater than the past five-year average.

Under the minerals and metals sector capital expenditures, your numbers show that in year 2013-14, the capital expenditures for minerals and metals were 16.1%. In 2015-16, the capital expenditures were -2.6%. To what does your department attribute the downturn in capital expenditures in the minerals and metals sector?

[Christyne Tremblay]

Mr. Chair, it's the same type of question. We're going to have to come back on capital.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Thank you.

[Christyne Tremblay]

Sorry.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

You've got about eight seconds.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

I don't think you can accomplish much in that time, Mr. Doherty.

Go ahead, Mr. Cannings.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Thanks again for being here.

I just want to try to get a couple of details on expenditures, some of which reflect things in the estimates. Minister Carr mentioned the almost $40 million that is being spent not this year but next year for building large buildings with wood. I'm just wondering if any of you here would have the details on how that would be spent, how that is carved up in terms of research versus actual.... I just want to find out how much of that is being spent to benefit directly the Canadian lumber industry, the forest industry. Is there any breakdown there?

[Christyne Tremblay]

I don't have a specific breakdown in percentage terms, but I can tell you that the full amount has to go to the forestry sector. The objective of the program is really to offset the fact that we're going to have early users of wood, and we want to make sure that it will be an incentive for people to use wood in building.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Thanks.

You've mentioned the electric vehicle charging stations. There was $10.9 million in this year's estimates, part of that going to charging stations, part going to natural gas, part going to hydrogen. You said there were 80 charging stations? It just seems like a lot of money for so few charging stations. They cost, in generous terms, about $100,000 apiece. I'm wondering how that breakdown works there.

[Cheri Crosby]

Well, you're absolutely right; that is what we dedicated the $10.9 million to, among other things, I think. The list that I mentioned was meant to be illustrative. It did establish 80 new charging units for electric vehicles, but there were also additional units related to natural gas, hydrogen, and so forth.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Right.

[Cheri Crosby]

I don't have at my disposal a complete breakdown of the entire $10.9 million, but we'd be happy to come back with that.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Well again, anything to increase that, you know...because we need something to drive that shift to the electrification of our transportation.

[Christyne Tremblay]

In fact, the number is that we have 1,000 electric charging stations, 80 fast charging stations, nine natural gas refuelling stations, and three hydrogen refuelling stations. Aside from that, we also gave support to different companies. For example, AddÉnergie in Quebec received money to deploy charging stations across Quebec and Ontario.