Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 29th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

We will proceed to the vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We'll now proceed to clause 62 and G-12.

Ms. Dabrusin.

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

This is another amendment to correct a minor error and ensure consistency with the Nova Scotia act. This one is for proposed section 138.015.

The word “the” is replaced with the word “that”. I'm sorry. It doesn't actually replace it, when I'm looking at it. It inserts the word “that”. It doesn't replace the word “that”. It now reads, “knowledge that the authority possesses”.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Mrs. Stubbs, go ahead.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

We're going to vote against this on principle.

Again, on behalf of the Conservatives, clearly this bill has been rushed. Clearly the Liberals will pass a bill that will be uncertain, unclear and open to litigation, and I would suggest the concern with this word “that” is the smallest problem with this bill.

Just so Canadians are aware, what the Liberals are asking us to do is basically trust them on a whole bunch of aspects of this bill that, as we warned from the very beginning, include various sections that have been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada.

We are going to oppose this amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you, Mrs. Stubbs.

Shall G‑12 carry?

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

On BQ-17, we have Monsieur Simard.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Thank you.

Again, to remain consistent with what we have said from the start, I move that Bill C‑49, in clause 62, be amended (a) by replacing line 5 on page 41 with the following:

138.017 or a strategic environmental assessment under section

(b) by replacing line 14 on page 41 with the following:

Strategic Environmental Assessments

(c) by replacing line 25 on page 41 with the following:

138.018(1) The Regulator may conduct a strategic environmental as‐

(d) by replacing line 33 on page 41 with the following:

conduct a strategic environmental assessment of any proposed or exist‐

(e) by replacing, in the English version, line 38 on page 41 with the following:

gic environmental assessment.

The purpose of this amendment is quite simple. The Canadian Energy Regulator must be empowered to conduct strategic environmental assessments, and not just strategic assessments. The term “strategic assessment” comes from the Impact Assessment Act, where it has a specific meaning that doesn't apply to Bill C‑49. The amendment would clarify this aspect.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

On BQ-17, we have Mr. Sorbara.

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

Thank you very much, Monsieur Simard, for your proposition.

I'm going to be opposing this motion on the primary basis that the life cycle regulator for offshore projects is already obligated to ensure that safety and environmental protection are achieved for all works and activities under its jurisdiction. These sections in the bill use the term “strategic assessment”, which is broader and was negotiated with the provinces. “Strategic assessment” is terminology consistent with what is used in other statutes, such as the Impact Assessment Act.

With that, I'll be opposing BQ‑17.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Okay. We'll now proceed to the vote.

(Amendment negatived: nays 10; yeas 1)

We'll now go to G-12.1.

Ms. Dabrusin.

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

This is another minor correction one.

There's a difference between the number written in English and the number written in French in section 62 of the bill.

In English, the number is 138.019, while in French, it's 138.19. It's simply a matter of adding the missing zero.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Okay. It doesn't seem like there's any further debate. We'll now go to the vote.

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

We'll now go to G-13.

Ms. Dabrusin.

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

This is another amendment to ensure consistency with the Nova Scotia part of this bill. It is to insert language into proposed section 138.019: “by the Agency or committee”. The section would be “within the period specified by the Agency or committee under section 100”.

It's just inserting those words to make it consistent with the Nova Scotia act.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Okay. We'll now proceed to the vote.

(Amendment agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

We'll now go to BQ-18.

Mr. Simard.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Again, we want to take into account the briefs submitted by East Coast Environmental Law, Ocean North, SeaBlue Canada and the Ecology Action Centre, along with the testimony of the people who came to see us. They pointed out that, under the old act, it was necessary to ensure that each project was subject to a specific assessment. In other words, the current regional assessment in place is necessary, but not sufficient.

Our proposed amendment is as follows:

138.0201 For greater certainty, the Regulator conducts regional assessments and strategic environmental assessments under this section independently from regional assessments and strategic assessments conducted under the Impact Assessment Act.

There you go.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

We'll now go to Mr. Sorbara.

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

I'll be opposing Mr. Simard's amendment, as it would be redundant.

The regulators' authorities are already clear in the bill. To give the member a fulsome answer, Bill C-49 would only provide the regulators with the authority to conduct regional and strategic assessments under the accord acts. Similarly, the Impact Assessment Act clearly outlines who can conduct regional and strategic assessments. This does not include the offshore regulators. In addition, there are currently no equivalency provisions to allow regional strategic assessments under the accord acts to be deemed equivalent to a regional or strategic assessment conducted under the Impact Assessment Act, or vice versa.

I'm opposing BQ-18.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

Thank you. We will call the roll.

(Amendment negatived: nays 10; yeas 1)

(Clause 62 as amended agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

Thank you, colleagues, for the great day of work today at committee.

Is it the will of the committee to adjourn?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, George Chahal]

The meeting is adjourned. Have a great two weeks.