Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 29th, 2024

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I am going to split my time with my colleague and friend from Nova Scotia, MP Blois.

Minister, I'm going to ask a question in French, just to change it up a bit, on the implications of Bill C-49 with regard to our race to a net-zero economy, obviously benefiting our environment.

Mr. Minister, what will be the consequences of delaying the passage of this legislation or delaying the race to net zero?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Countries around the world are taking action to seize economic opportunities. If Canada wants to lag behind other countries, it can wait. However, it would be very bad for the economy of the future. It has to move. It has to take action.

We are taking action now.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Minister, I'll take over from here.

I have just a quick question.

We've talked a lot about how this bill enables the development of offshore wind, and for the export of green hydrogen or ammonia, it would be about transportation. However, we still have a lot of electricity in Nova Scotia generated by coal. My understanding is the potential in offshore wind would far exceed the electricity demand in our province.

Can you speak very quickly to not only how this could have export opportunities for green hydrogen, but how it could help Nova Scotia and indeed help meet the demands in central Canada, like in Quebec or other provinces, particularly if we upgrade our transmission, which I know is an ongoing conversation right now?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Look, there is a need to decarbonize the Nova Scotia grid. We are working very closely with Nova Scotia. I have worked very closely with Premier Houston on this. We are supporting the development of a whole range of things that will help them get off coal and ultimately decarbonize the grid.

Onshore and offshore wind are part of that. A one-gigawatt facility offshore would produce enough electricity for a third of the households in Nova Scotia. If you're looking at building out 15 or 20 gigawatts over time, it's much more than you will need domestically. That creates opportunity for hydrogen, but it also potentially creates opportunities for helping New Brunswick with its phase-out or for transmitting it through new transmission facilities to Quebec, which can use it in the context of intermittent power. They can balance it because they have the big hydro battery. That can enable further exports to Ontario or to the United States.

It is an enormous economic opportunity.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Just very quickly—and Mr. Angus talked about this—I'm one of the younger parliamentarians in the country. For my generation, coming out of university there was a huge exodus of people my age who were going to western Canada. Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada has certainly held its own, in an economic sense, in the federation. There have been a lot of good jobs.

Mr. Angus asked you a question that I want to get on the record so I can tell my constituents at home that this is about creating good jobs. It's not just about the environment. Obviously there are huge environmental impacts from reducing our GHG emissions and being able to move towards a low-carbon economy, but at the end of the day this is really about good, well-paying jobs in rural parts of Atlantic Canada, which I think is extremely important. Can you just quickly allude to that?

If I have any extra time, I'll go to my colleague from Labrador.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

This is the fantastic thing about many of the opportunities that are going to be enabled through this transition. They are going to create good jobs in rural and remote areas, like in critical minerals in Mr. Angus' riding. It's hydrogen in many of the rural communities in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

That's a huge benefit. It's part of creating a thriving economy in a world that is going to look fundamentally different. If we believe in the science of climate change, things need to change in terms of how we actually do things. This is part of the strategy to ensure that Canada is a leader from an economic perspective moving forward.

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Thank you.

I just want to pick up on the issue with regard to the FFAW and the fisheries sector in Newfoundland and Labrador. In my time in politics, in all of the amendments and changes we've made to the Atlantic Accord bill, I've never known there to be opposition from the FFAW. Certainly if there is, I'd ask my colleague to table it at committee so we can review it.

Obviously, we are huge supporters of the fishing industry in Canada. I'm a former minister of fisheries myself, in Newfoundland and Labrador, and I want to ensure that the fisheries sector—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

—has been consulted and is a big part of what's happening here—

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Go ahead on a point of order.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

For the record, I did not say that the FFAW did not support wind energy or this bill in any way. I consulted with them and they told me they didn't get a phone call while this bill was being formulated.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Mr. Small, for your point of order. That went into debate.

As time is up, please conclude, Ms. Jones. The floor is yours.

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Thank you.

I'm really glad my colleague clarified that because in my time I've not been aware of it. I certainly want to make sure for the record, Minister, that it's understood that we are very supportive of the fishing industry in all regions of Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Give a very quick answer.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

I agree entirely. It is very important that the voices of fish harvesters are heard.

When I was fisheries minister, I had an excellent relationship with the FFAW. They were always very constructive in the workings and dealings I had with them. I'm always very happy to have conversations with them going forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you.

Minister, thank you for coming today. It's great to have you here. We hope to see you again.

Thank you, officials.

Minister, you are released from today's meeting.

Colleagues, if I could, I'll ask for just a few minutes of your time very quickly on some administrative items. I think it will take a minute or two just to go through these.

Earlier today, the clerk sent out some budgets.

Is it the will of the committee to adopt a study budget for Bill C-50?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you.

Is it the will of the committee to adopt the study budget for Bill C-49?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you.

Is it the will of the committee to adopt the travel budget for Bill C-49 in the amount of $108,500?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you for that, colleagues.

I want to welcome our now full-time new clerk and analyst to the committee. Our analyst has done a tremendous job to finish off the last year, and our new clerk did a tremendous job today in preparing for Bill C-49.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

I thank both of you for your hard work and in advance for the hard work ahead you're going to do.

This meeting is adjourned.