Thank you.
Evidence of meeting #28 for Natural Resources in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #28 for Natural Resources in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, the designation of plastic as a toxic substance threatens a significant number of jobs and a significant amount of investment in our country. Can you tell me, Minister, whether you have been hearing concerns from your provincial counterparts on this move?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
Thank you, Mr. Lloyd.
First of all, I'll state the obvious, that it's an ECCC issue, but yes, I've heard and read the same concerns. At the same time I think it's really important to note how important plastics are, particularly in this pandemic world that we live in.
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
What has industry been telling you about the threat to jobs and investment in our country, based on this move?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
I have heard, I think probably, the same reports and the same media coverage that you have.
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Are you aware that these companies are taking the government to court over this move?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
I am not but perhaps I can ask my deputy minister if he has any thoughts on the issue.
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Before we go to that, Minister, what are you doing to advocate for the plastics industry in Canada?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
It's not within my bailiwick, but certainly—
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
You sit around the cabinet table when these decisions are made. I'm not asking you to divulge what you're saying in cabinet, but how are you, in high terms, advocating for this industry?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
I'm advocating for the industry by making sure that we have a low-emitting and competitive oil and gas industry.
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Well, what does that have to do with the plastics industry in terms of emissions?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Yes, and they're sequestered into the plastic product. Plastics are not a hugely emitting industry.
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we're talking about plastics here. This is old—
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
I hope this doesn't take up my time here, Mr. Chair.
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
You can have your time. I don't mind at all.
This is completely for ECCC. The minister has his hands full with all of the sectors he's dealing with on his own, so the fact that you want to talk about plastics here and the plastics industry really has no relevance at all, I think, to the discussions and to having the Minister of Natural Resources here.
Thank you.
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Thanks, Mr. Lefebvre.
Yes, Mr. Lloyd, I don't think you'll disagree that we're pretty flexible on how tightly we stick to the relevancy of questions relating to the supplementary estimates, but I think this one's a little far afield, so...
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I will say, in my defence, that the minister is the minister for the Canada Energy Regulator, which does deal with pipelines, which deal with transportation of natural gas for the production of plastics, so it is related.