Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise once again in support of the Canada Oceans Act.
I would like to thank all the members of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, and I include here the hon. member for Gaspé, for ensuring that Bill C-026 is an accurate reflection of consultations with Canadians and of the views advanced by witnesses who appeared before the committee.
Motions Nos. 28, 29 and 30 concern clause 27 of the Canada Oceans Act. Clause 27 repeats the prepublication obligation found in the Canadian Laws Offshore Application Act which has its interesting mnemonic CLOAA which is an obligation required of the government prior to the proposed effective date of the legislation.
Currently the clause includes special consideration of the provinces with respect to providing feedback on proposed regulations. Federal legislative policy and practice already calls for consultation with stakeholders on proposed modifications to regulations.
In our view, the Bloc's Motion No. 28 would only serve to increase the administrative burden of this act by obligating the government to prepublish all proposed amendments as well as continuing with the public consultation practice.
Administrative burden is something the government is trying to reduce because it costs the taxpayer money. I think I can safely state that there is not one individual or organization that in consultations or when appearing before the standing committee in the autumn of 1995 requested more red tape be introduced into this legislation. Therefore the government is not prepared to support Motion No. 28 or Motion No. 30 which eliminates the clause that recognizes that legislative policy and practice does not call for the prepublication of amendments or regulations.
Additionally, to obligate the government to prepublish each and every single proposed amendment to each and every regulation would not only burden the process unnecessarily but it would serve no purpose. To accept this motion will only serve to increase the administrative burden the government is trying hard to reduce. At the same it would offer no benefits to Canadians.
I am happy to support the regulation making provisions of this legislation and the government's Motion No. 29, a technical amendment to clarify the intent of clause 27 which is to say that interested provinces will be given the opportunity to make representations with respect to proposed regulations published in the Canada Gazette .
This and similar technical amendments are being proposed to show that Canada Oceans Act makes it possible for Canadians to work together to shape the best national answers and the best local answers for the sustainable development of our ocean resources.
I ask all members to reject the Bloc proposed amendments to the regulation provisions of this act, specifically Motions Nos. 28 and 30, as unnecessary and without grounds and to support the government's amendment, Motion No. 29.
I am happy to support the bill and urge all members to join me in allowing the legislation to go forward.