Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 28th, 2022

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Marshall.

Let's then work at what we can do together. The reality is that as we pursue more oil, it's only going to get dirtier across the country. What we can do is actually invest in people.

Ms. Levin, I wonder if you'd like to close by sharing with us what we can do, if we avoid the loopholes being pushed by oil and gas, to actually invest in workers now.

[Julia Levin]

I'm going to defer to my colleague Mr. Marshall to jump in.

[Dale Marshall]

I'm going to jump in on that, because I commissioned and helped write a report on just transition that was done by Jim Stanford, a labour economist.

There are a number of ways that you can put in place a just transition strategy for workers and communities. It involves funds for early retirement, funds for training programs for workers and relocation funds for communities. It means community economic development: looking at specific places to see what resources are there in terms of workforce. It means a lot of money, but it's the kind of money that allows communities and workers to be supported as we transition away from fossil fuels, rather than handing over more and more money to the oil and gas industry to solve 20% of their emissions problem.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

We're out of time. As I said, we have some committee business.

Before we do that, thank you to the witnesses who have joined us this afternoon. We've had lots of great discussion. There is a lot more to consider as we work on pulling together our report on the oil and gas emissions cap.

At this point, witnesses, if you would like to drop off the call, you're welcome to do that. If you have additional thoughts, please send those to us through the clerk.

For the members, both online and in the room, if you could stay with us, we have some brief business to deal with. We need to elect a new vice-chair, based on the membership of the Conservatives.

To do that, I need to turn the chair over to the clerk, who will oversee that part of the process.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Hilary Jane Powell]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

We are going to proceed with the election of first vice-chair.

Pursuant to Standing Order 106(2), the first vice-chair must be a member of the official opposition.

I'm now prepared to receive motions for the first vice-chair.

Mr. McLean.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair and Clerk, may I please nominate Larry Maguire.

[The Clerk]

It has been moved by Mr. McLean that Mr. Larry Maguire be elected as first vice-chair of the committee.

(Motion agreed to)

I declare the motion carried and Mr. Larry Maguire duly elected as first vice-chair of the committee.

Congratulations.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Welcome, Mr. Maguire.

I understand that you have a question before we adjourn today.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

It's a question for the committee, Mr. Chair. I don't think it's very controversial.

With what's going on in the world right now, I wonder if we could ask the committee for their co-operation in having our Natural Resources people provide a list of all the natural resources we are either exporting to Russia or that Russia is exporting to us. Notwithstanding the discussion we had earlier, I think it would be pertinent for us to know exactly how things shape up in the world with regard to exports with Russia, and their involvement with Ukraine right now.

I wonder if we could ask the department to do that as a motion from our committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Mr. Angus.

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

I certainly think it's really important, as for anything our committee does, that we have facts. We're hearing all kinds of contradictory opinions. I would like facts. I work with facts. If we can find that out for the last six, seven, 10 years, having a period of time to look at would be very helpful. If there are particular companies that we are dealing with, maybe we'd want to know that too.

If we can get those facts, then we can decide what we would do as a committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Mr. Maloney.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

I like that suggestion from Mr. Maguire. That information would be particularly helpful.

Can we get a time frame perhaps, and what that exchange would look like?

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Well, I'd give it a week, if that's a reasonable time frame, maybe by the end of the week, for next Monday's meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Mr. Maguire, are you moving an official motion? If you are, we'll ask you to put that out so that our clerk can officially record it. Then we can put that to the department.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

I'll come up with one.

I would include Ukraine in that as well, and Russia, so that we can know their situation for imports and exports, if that's the will of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Are there any other questions or debate?

Please go ahead, Monsieur Simard.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

I have no objections to looking at oil exports from Russia and Ukraine, but I wouldn't want that discussion to distract the committee from its current study.

I have no objections to the committee requesting the information. The more we know, the better off we are.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Mr. Angus, please go ahead.

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

I'd also say the timeline is important because, if this information is important, the sooner we act, the better.

I'd like to have something by next Monday. We can carve out time and then discuss whether it's an issue for us or not.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Is everybody good with that?

Ms. Dabrusin, go ahead.

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

I think that the one-week timeline is fair. I'm good with that.

I'm wondering if it could be reread. What exactly was the motion? But I'm agreeable.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Mr. Maguire, do you wish to add in the “one week”?

Ms. Jones, go ahead.

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

I don't know if we should put in the timeline. I think we want to get it as quickly as possible. I don't know how long it would take the department and the Library of Parliament to put the document together.