Evidence of meeting #51 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was project.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
No.
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Conservative
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
No.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Ms. Leslie said that there were only three bodies of water that would be, in her words, “protected” after Bill C-45 is adopted.
Is there anything in division 18 of Bill C-45 that would remove protections under the Species at Risk Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, the Fisheries Act, or the Canadian Environmental Protection Act from the other bodies of water in Manitoba?
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
No.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
All right. So it is not true to suggest that there will only be three bodies of water protected in Manitoba...?
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
Again, I take exception to the description of “protected”. There are listed waterways in Manitoba and unlisted waterways.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Does that have no bearing on the applicability of environmental laws and their protections of waterways in, for example, Manitoba?
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
Not federally or provincially, no.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Right: so will these waterways still have the same protections under environmental law as they did prior to the passage of division 18?
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
Yes. If these amendments do not go forward, nothing's going to impact the changes to the environment act.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
Again, nothing will impact the changes to environment.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
These amendments have precisely nothing to do with the environment.
Now, on the issue of provincial consultations, are the provinces aware of the list of waterways that will be covered under the schedule that Bill C-45 brings into place?
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
They are aware. I just want to clarify that I wouldn't categorize them as consultations; I would categorize them as in-depth discussions.
12:10 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
So are they aware, though, of the waterways that are listed in the schedule of the new act?
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
They are indeed.
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Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Did they at any time specify that there were waterways that were not included that ought to be?
12:10 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
Again, I don't want to speak about the individual provinces. We did have questions clarifying why were some listed and not others. We described the criteria for them, as my colleague did earlier during this session, and for the most part—
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
Have any provinces said that there are waterways missing from the schedule that's in the existing bill?
12:15 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
No. Conversely, there were some provinces that said that perhaps too many were listed.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
So the only criticism that we've had from our provincial counterparts on the list itself is that it is perhaps too exhaustive?
12:15 p.m.
Director General, Navigable Waters Protection Task Force, Department of Transport
Again, from a couple of the provinces, yes.
12:15 p.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
But none have come to you and said there aren't enough waterways included?