Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 5th, 2021

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

A point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

The least our Prime Minister can do is fight for jobs—

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Mr. Simard has a point of order, Ms. Harder.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

—and contend for the development of—

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Can we please stick to the motion being debated?

I understand, as does Ms. Harder, that the issue of immunization is important, but if we want to finish, and out of respect for the two witnesses present, can we stick to the motion being debated?

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Thank you, Mr. Simard.

Ms. Harder, I'll remind you again to try to stick to the motion.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Sure.

Chair, one of the reasons why it's so important that we discuss the vaccination rate—you'll note that I gave it an honourable mention, but now I'll take the time to go into it a bit—is that it's directly related to jobs, which have to do with this motion—

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

It's not related to this motion, so if you can get back to the context we're discussing here, that would save time and show to the witnesses the courtesy that you referred to earlier.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Maloney, this motion has to do with the loss of jobs and the loss of investment across Canada. A part of getting people back to work is making sure that they have access to vaccinations should they choose to take one. That is all I wish to say. Taking me to task on this is what's wasting time.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Well, your colleagues are raising points of order, so I have to respond to them.

Carry on, Ms. Harder.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you.

Look, at the end of the day, as I've stated, this committee exists in order to look at the natural resources that exist within Canada and at their development. This committee exists, then, to study the factors that would either facilitate or hinder the development of these resources and why those factors exist.

This motion that is on the table right now in front of this committee is absolutely pertinent and, I would say, even vital to the health and well-being of Canadians as a whole and to our future prosperity as a nation. I'll complete my comments with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Thank you.

Mr. Patzer, you're next.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Another reason that this motion is extremely relevant is that in order for there to be any investment in green technology or the next phase of renewables, we're going to have to have a robust energy sector that utilizes fossil fuels, that uses oil and gas. Keystone XL is going to provide the certainty for that.

I myself spent time working on a wind farm. My job was heavily based on the use and utilization of oil, which is obviously derived from fossil fuels. Green technology does not exist without the energy sector, as it currently consists of oil and gas companies doing the work that they do and getting the resources to market in the way that they do. Any transition that is going to happen involving green technology has to involve oil and gas. The Keystone XL pipeline was essential for that. The jobs it creates in all sectors are extremely vital. That's why this motion is extremely relevant and extremely important, and I hope that everybody will consider voting in favour of this motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Thank you, Mr. Patzer.

Mr. May, you're next.

[Bryan May, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I move that we adjourn the debate. We have witnesses in front of us. We're hearing a lot of repetition. I think we should adjourn the debate and deal with this at another time when we do not have witnesses.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Thank you.

That is a dilatory motion, one that does require a vote right now.

Madam Clerk, can you call the vote, please, on Mr. May's motion?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

I have a point of order.

[Bryan May, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

For clarity, we are actually voting on adjourning the debate, not on the motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

That is correct.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

No, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

We're voting, Ms. Harder.

[Bryan May, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

You can't have a point of order in a dilatory motion. It's in your green book.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

No. You actually can't call this.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

We can, and it's been done.

[Bryan May, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

We just did. I can, and I did.