House of Commons Hansard #431 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was deal.

Topics

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Madam Speaker, I deeply appreciate and respect my hon. colleague, but as someone who has first nations in my family and have hanged on the hope that the minister would follow through on some of the promises—

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

The hon. member is getting into debate. He either wants to apologize or he does not.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Madam Speaker, if you will permit me, I believe I have the opportunity to respond to this. I will apologize and retract what I said, but it is shameful that the minister stands—

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

We do not need additional information. The hon. member either apologizes for what he said or—

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

An hon. member

He did.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

We will accept that.

The hon. minister.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal Toronto—St. Paul's, ON

Madam Speaker, I have been in the member's community. I know of the struggles in Prince George and the Highway of Tears. I understand his passion for this and his family. However, I want to let him know that Dorothy Grant, the beautiful designer of this scarf, is very happy to have me wear them.

It is hugely important that he understand the progress that has been made, which we hear about from coast to coast to coast. People are proud that we worked with the Inuit on their Inuit suicide strategy. People are very proud of the work we are doing on lifting all long-term boil water advisories. I encourage the member to go the website and see the progress. He can actually track it. We are on track to have all of them lifted by 2021.

It becomes unhelpful for Canada to have this as a partisan issue. We all know we could do more and we want to do better, but it is not right for some of these things to end up so partisan and so inaccurate.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:15 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Madam Speaker, as is not uncommon for me, I find myself somewhat in the middle on this. I deeply object to this very harsh time limitation on the debate of Bill C-88. At the same time, I was here in the 41st Parliament and I did work against the legislation. It was clear at the time to be disrespectful and a violation of treaty rights to create a so-called superboard without consultation in violation of treaties.

After the decision of the Northwest Territories Supreme Court, which suspended the creation of the superboard, this legislation is almost a no-brainer. It is required that we get rid of the legislation from the 41st Parliament that ignored the treaty rights of indigenous people, but it deserves proper and full consideration in this Parliament.

Therefore, I object to the proceeding we are going through tonight, although I do support the legislation. I also do not believe it is inappropriate for any woman or man in this place to choose first nations designs to promote first nations designers. I find that level of debate really demeans this place.

We are here to promote reconciliation, democracy and respect for each other. The way we conduct ourselves in this place would make any indigenous person wonder if he or she wants to actually join this country or find a way to avoid reconciliation and go back to pre-colonial times, without the burden of the way we conduct ourselves in this place.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:20 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal Toronto—St. Paul's, ON

Madam Speaker, I certainly respect the member opposite's point of view and the advocacy she gave in the last Parliament of fighting against the fusion of these boards. I think the member will come to understand that there are special bills that ought to reflect the consensus and the agreement that first nations and Inuit or Métis have come to with Canada.

This means that we have proper airing as we have with the two days of debate at second reading, the INAN committee hearings and now this second day of debate at third reading. I hope all members will take advantage of the five hours coming forward and will speak if they need to. However, these amendments and changes are essential for the people of the Northwest Territories. I urge members here to respect that.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:20 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Madam Speaker, it is incredible that they are trying to derail the debate on the substantive issue, which is that they are curtailing our right, as parliamentarians, to debate bills. Once again, the Liberal government has not properly managed the parliamentary machinery, has woken up at the last minute and is trying, in a panic, to prevent us from having debates that are appropriate for us to have.

They are telling us we debated the bill for two days two years ago and that consultations were held in 2017, but that is not what we are discussing at this time. That is truly unfortunate. Earlier, the Liberal government imposed a far-reaching gag order. Opposition members did not even have the right to ask the minister questions.

The Liberals should look themselves in the mirror and admit that what they are doing is even worse than what the Conservatives did in the worst years of Stephen Harper.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:20 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal Toronto—St. Paul's, ON

Madam Speaker, it is very important that the member understand that we had two days of debate at second reading stage and that we heard witnesses in committee. This is the second day of debate at third reading. Members must understand that, out of respect for indigenous governments and peoples and the Northwest Territories, we must pass this bill immediately.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:20 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Madam Speaker, I have suggested that the bill, in spite of the fact that it has taken the Liberals so many years to get it here, is a paradox. It is about the consultation. What the minister has failed to mention is the fact that part 2 is an arbitrary move by the federal government to give extraordinary powers with respect to moratoriums around resource development.

Is it the position of the government that it consult to perhaps stop progress or stop projects, but does not consult when it wants to stop them itself?

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:25 p.m.

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett Liberal Toronto—St. Paul's, ON

Madam Speaker, I would like to reassure the member that face-to-face consultations with the officials from three territorial governments, representatives from the Inuvialuit and Inuit organizations, as well as the existing oil and gas rights holders were launched in March 2017 and concluded in July. The consultations allowed Canada to take stock in stakeholder interests, plans and a vision for future oil and gas exploration and development in the Arctic offshore.

All parties affirmed the strategic economic value to the north from oil and gas development in the Arctic offshore and supported the measure in Bill C-88 to authorize the Governor in Council to issue a prohibition order to freeze the terms of the existing licences in the Beaufort Sea for the duration of the moratorium so the clock would stop and their licences would restart when the moratorium was lifted.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:25 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings at this time and put forthwith the question on the motion now before the House.

The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:25 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:25 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

All those opposed will please say nay.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

June 11th, 2019 / 9:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Bill C-88—Time Allocation MotionMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

9:25 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #1353

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

10:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from June 10 consideration of the motion that Bill C-88, An Act to amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be read the third time and passed, and of the amendment.

Third ReadingMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

10:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Northwest Territories has six minutes remaining in his speech.

Third ReadingMackenzie Valley Resource Management ActGovernment Orders

10:05 p.m.

Liberal

Michael McLeod Liberal Northwest Territories, NT

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate being able to use the rest of my time on Bill C-88, which would amend the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.

This is a very important piece of legislation in my riding of Northwest Territories. The Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is the legislation that defines our unique system of land and water management in Mackenzie Valley, which is most of the Northwest Territories.

I had left off yesterday discussing the previous amendments made in 2014 to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. The current amendments would not only fix the terribly thought out board amalgamation amendments of the previous government, but would also reintroduce all of the other proposed improvements to and modernization of the act that were halted with the NWT Supreme Court injunction.

These amendments were initially brought in by the members opposite, so I really cannot understand why they would be against Bill C-88. It must be their resistance to getting rid of the superboard and affirming the importance of the regional panels as set out in the constitutionally protected land claim agreements.

Other amendments in Bill C-88 clarify board composition when special representatives are added to the boards and provide for board member term extensions to allow for the completion of ongoing proceedings.

The amendments also allow for the creation of an enforceable development certificate scheme to clarify expectations for developers and enforcement agencies, following the environmental assessment. The development certificate amendment process provides for the reconsideration of specific elements of a project rather than having to undergo a full project environmental assessment for technological or environmental changes. Regional study provisions, if employed, would simply add valuable information to the regional data centre that could help inform responsible development.

The regulation-making authorities for administrative monetary penalties and cost recovery are also proposed in this bill and are consistent with modern-day approaches to resource management in other parts of the country. All northern partners, including industry groups, would be involved in the development of these regulations, which would provide further clarity on expectations, roles and responsibilities.

As we all know, there are those across the aisle who seem to not want to have a robust, inclusive and effective regulatory process in the Northwest Territories. The resulting ill-informed and cherry-picking amendments to the MVRMA were brought in by the previous Conservative government in 2014. The Conservatives' goal was to move decisions away from regional community members and restructure the land and water boards with a complete disregard for land claim agreements. As history has shown, the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories had a problem with that.

Indigenous governments have settled land claims. Canada and the NWT government worked very long and hard to conclude these agreements. They cannot be ignored for expediency, for political gain and pandering to interest groups. As we have seen in this case, and we will see in the future if required, if any level of government thinks it can just set them aside when convenient, it will end up before the courts and will not like the outcome.

Bill C-88 is not just about keeping decision-making in the hands of those who know best, the indigenous and northern people; it is also about targeted improvements to the regime as a whole. These amendments do both.

I thank everyone here today for their continued support. Hopefully, we will see some new supporters here today. These amendments would right past wrongs and certainly improve the regulatory system in the north.

I certainly want to highlight the initial work that the Tlicho government has done to spearhead the court challenge of the ill-conceived Conservative amendments back in 2014, which stopped the superboard from ever being created in the first place. Their successful injunction at the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories suspended those flawed provisions from being enacted.

Finally, I would like to thank the Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs for bringing them forward. I wish him well and look forward to seeing and working with him in the future.