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.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Greg McLean Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, if we can just let the next round go for the full five minutes and then revert, I think that would be more amenable....
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Okay. Well, that's fine. That means Mr. Simard and Mr. Cannings are finished for the day.
Mr. Patzer, carry on.
May 28th, 2021 / 2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Thank you very much.
Minister, I want to start quickly by continuing a point that my colleague Mr. Lloyd was addressing, namely the enhanced oil recovery. If we're trying to make our oil production more efficient and more environmentally sustainable and environmentally friendly, the International Carbon Capture Storage Knowledge Centre has a stat out there saying that if you use enhanced oil recovery, it's 30% more eco-efficient. With numbers like that, why is your government deciding to not invest further in it when it's proven to make it a more efficient production? Plus, it's also storing and sequestering that carbon as well. It's kind of a win-win, is it not?
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
We've said in the budget that the tax credit as we envision it is not intended towards enhanced oil recovery, but having said that—and I've said this before—I am looking forward to hearing from stakeholders during that 90-day consultation period.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Do you think that 30%, though, would be a good enough number to make it viable, to make it something that you would move towards?
I know I'm kind of spitballing here, but....
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
No, that's okay. I am looking forward to this, genuinely. This is a genuine consultation period to determine those details with stakeholders in the oil patch and with provincial governments like Alberta's.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Thank you.
There are a few line items here, as I look through the main estimates, that I'd like your input on.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
With regard to contributions in support of indigenous natural resource partnerships, there were expenditures for 2019-20. There was zero for 2020-21. Then there's funding again for 2021-22. Why was there nothing for 2020-21?
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
That's a good question. I don't have the answer before me, at the moment.
I'll ask my deputy minister if he or one of my other officials who are present may have an answer to that question for you, sir.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
2:20 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
I could turn to Shirley on that, or perhaps we could send a response in writing.
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
Yes.
I won't take up your valuable time. We can get you an answer.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
I'd greatly appreciate that.
There's one other line item that relates. For the indigenous consultations participant funding program, it's the same thing: There was funding in 2019-20, none for 2020-21, and reduced funding again for 2021-22. If you have an explanation for that, you could include that in the same, if you want. If you have it now, that's great too.
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
We will include it in the same. The only thing I can conjure up for you is that it might be project-related.
2:20 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
I can respond to it.
2:20 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
What you have in front of you is the main estimates. Sometimes things come through the supplementaries. In the context of those, last year the funding actually came through the supplementaries.
2:20 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
It's just kind of funny, though, that the two topics that deal with—
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
—indigenous partnerships are the ones that have nothing. It seems like every other line item there has funding allocated towards it.
Staying on that train of thought, Minister, if we're going to be building oil pipelines that have indigenous involvement and participation, do you think those are pipelines worth advancing and worth having built?
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
If they go through the environmental assessment process, if you have indigenous consultation and participation, yes, but it has to go through the process, obviously. You need to make sure that you have affected indigenous organizations on board.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Okay.
I'm just going to give you a quick quote and then ask for your thoughts here. Stephen Buffalo, who is the president of the Indian Resource Council, said that your government's actions “could undo one of the most important examples of indigenous engagement”. He's referring to the energy sector here. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on that.
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Seamus O'Regan Liberal St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
I have appeared before the Assembly of First Nations gathering of chiefs, and I can tell you that views on energy, on oil, on pipelines are as different and disparate across that group as they are at maybe some family tables or in the House of Commons. Each organization is very different. Each community is different. Each first nation is different. Each Métis community is different. Their views on it are different and within those communities they're different. That's not to belabour the point, but you know what I mean.