Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 29th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

I call this meeting to order. Welcome to meeting number 88 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Tuesday, October 17, 2023, and the adopted motion of Wednesday, December 13, 2023, the committee is resuming the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-49, an act to amend the Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts.

Since today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of members and witnesses.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. For interpretation for those on Zoom, you have the choice at the bottom of your screen of floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

Although this room is equipped with a powerful audio system, feedback events can occur. These can be extremely harmful to interpreters and cause serious injuries. The most common cause of sound feedback is an earpiece worn too close to a microphone. We therefore ask all participants to exercise a high degree of caution when handling the earpieces, especially when your microphone or your neighbour's microphone is turned on. In order to prevent incidents and safeguard the hearing health of interpreters, I invite participants to ensure that they speak into the microphone into which their headset is plugged in and avoid manipulating the earbuds by placing them on the table away from the microphone when they are not in use.

This is a reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair. Additionally, taking screenshots or photos of your screen is not permitted.

In accordance with our routine motion, I'm informing the committee that all remote participants have completed the required connection tests in advance of this meeting.

With us today to answer your questions we have, from the Department of Justice, Jean-François Roman, legal counsel.

From the Department of Natural Resources, we have Annette Tobin, director; Lauren Knowles, deputy director; Cheryl McNeil, deputy director, by video conference; and Daniel Morin, senior legislative and policy adviser, renewable and electrical energy division.

We also have legislative clerks from the House of Commons, Dancella Boyi and Émilie Thivierge.

(On clause 38)

Now we will proceed to clause-by-clause consideration, resuming debate on clause 38, BQ-11.

I have a point of order by Mrs. Stubbs.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Thank you, Chair, for the introduction, and thank you to everybody and all the officials for being here. It's nice to see you all.

Colleagues, I just want to quickly move a motion before we get started pertaining to the government's supplementary estimates (C).

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Mrs. Stubbs, I'm going to ask you to hold. We cannot move a motion on a point of order. Once you get the floor, though, you will be able to move your motion.

We're on BQ-11 and I will—

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Do you have a point of order?

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

No, I'd like to be on the speaking list, as you just said.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Okay. I want to go to Monsieur Simard first so he can proceed with moving the amendment.

Would you like to move the amendment?

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Our proposed amendment is as follows:

prior to making a call for bids in relation to those Crown reserve areas, the Regulator has conducted a regional assessment or strategic environmental assessment of the impacts of offshore renewable energy projects in those Crown reserve areas, or the Regulator has determined that a previous regional assessment or strategic environmental assessment of the impacts of offshore renewable energy projects has been conducted in respect of those Crown reserve areas; and

This amendment was prompted by the testimony of certain groups that appeared before the committee, in particular East Coast Environmental Law, the Ecology Action Centre, Energy NL and the Nova Scotia Fisheries Alliance for Energy Engagement.

They all raised concerns about calls for bids in areas where no previous regional assessment or strategic environmental assessment had been conducted. This would be a good way to improve the bill and to reconcile it with local stakeholders.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Mr. Simard, for moving your amendment.

We have some folks who want to speak on the amendment.

Mrs. Stubbs has passed her time, so I'll go to Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Okay.

Mr. Aldag, would you like to speak to the motion?

[John Aldag, Liberal, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

I'll pass it to Ms. Dabrusin.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I think we've had this conversation a few times now with some of the amendments that have been proposed by the BQ. We agree, and I agree, with the intent, but ultimately we're going to be opposing this amendment. I say that because there are regional assessments for offshore wind being done right now in advance of future calls for bids.

The bill has amendments that allow and provide for offshore regulators to have the authority to conduct regional and strategic assessments, but they're not intended to be prescriptive. Really, when we're talking about this work and how we've discussed it with the provinces, the provinces would be unlikely to support such prescriptive measures.

I will be opposing this.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Ms. Dabrusin.

As I don't see any other members who would like to speak to the amendment, we will proceed to the vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Mrs. Stubbs.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Can I move my motion now?

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Yes.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Thanks, Chair, for the clarification earlier.

It's been properly submitted, and I would like to quickly move this motion pertaining to the government's supplementary estimates (C).

I gave notice on February 15 regarding the supplementary estimates so the minister could speak to those estimates to be accountable to all Canadians. I sure hope that all members of this committee will want to hear from the minister, to be open, accountable and transparent to all of the people who sent us here to do these jobs on their behalf.

I move:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee invite the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources to appear for two hours with departmental officials to testify on the Supplementary Estimates, (C) for the fiscal year 2023-24; and that they appear before the end of the current supply period.

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Mrs. Stubbs.

I will now go to the speaking list. I have Mr. Angus and Mr. Patzer.

Mr. Angus, go ahead.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Thank you.

I certainly support this because it is common; however, I vote to adjourn debate because we are dealing with important legislation. Once we deal with the legislation, we can bring this forward.

I would say if Madam Stubbs wants to talk with us about this, I'm totally supportive, but I really want to focus on the jobs we're dealing with in Newfoundland and Labrador, so I vote to adjourn the debate.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

We'll proceed to the vote.

(Motion agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

We'll now proceed to G-1.

Do we have a member to move G-1?

Ms. Dabrusin.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

This is a small correction amendment to change the word “criterion” in “the selection is made on the basis of the criterion”, which is what's written currently, to “criteria”.

It's really a matter of a correction in the language choice. I'm hoping that others will choose to support this.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

I don't see anybody else for debate. We can go right to the vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 11; nays 0 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

We will now proceed to NPD-1.

Mr. Angus.