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House of Commons Hansard #138 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.
House of Commons Hansard #138 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Housing Cost Transparency Act First reading of Bill C-287. The bill proposes amending the National Research Council Act to require publication of housing cost impact summaries for building code changes, aiming to improve transparency and address concerns over increased costs for new housing. 200 words.
Protection Against Online Fraud Act First reading of Bill C-288. The bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code and mandate that digital platforms actively remove fraudulent content, notify exposed users, and impose stricter penalties for scammers targeting vulnerable people. 200 words.
Stopping Supply to Save Lives Act First reading of Bill C-289. The bill seeks to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code to increase penalties for those who produce and traffic significant quantities of synthetic opioids, aiming to deter drug-related fatalities. 200 words.
Criminal Code First reading of Bill C-290. The bill amends the Criminal Code to create a specific offence for the theft of property with religious or cultural significance, ensuring such crimes are penalized with sentences comparable to thefts of high-value items. 300 words.
Act to Amend the Department of Industry Act (Small Businesses) First reading of Bill C-291. The bill mandates the federal government to assess the potential negative impacts of proposed legislation on small businesses before enactment, aiming to reduce regulatory hurdles and support their contribution to the Canadian economy. 300 words.
National Immigration Month Act First reading of Bill S-215. The bill designates November as National Immigration Month to recognize and celebrate the historical and ongoing contributions of immigrants to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of Canada. 100 words.
Admissibility of Government Business No.13—Speaker's Ruling The Speaker rules on a point of order concerning Government Business No. 13, concluding that the motion to expedite the consideration of Bill C-22 is procedurally admissible despite concerns regarding its retroactive nature. 1300 words, 10 minutes.
Government Business No. 13—Proceedings on Bill C‑22 Members debate Government Business No. 13, a motion by the Liberals to expedite the legislative process for Bill C-22, which relates to lawful access. Amidst parting tributes for a retiring Member, the House centers on opposition criticism regarding the use of time allocation and procedural constraints. Critics argue the government is rushing through legislation that endangers civil liberties and privacy protections without adequate expert testimony or democratic oversight. 30400 words, 4 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada Act Second reading of Bill C-268. The bill proposes modernizing Canada’s spectrum framework and mandating independent verification of coverage. Supporters cite safety risks in dead zones, inaccurate carrier data, and economic disparities in rural regions. With cross-party agreement that current regulations are outdated, the House referred it to committee for further study. 7500 words, 1 hour.
Adjournment Debate - The Environment Elizabeth May criticizes the government's inaction regarding ongoing oil sands tailings leaks and compromised treaty rights. Parliamentary Secretary Karim Bardeesy defends the government's approach, emphasizing reliance on scientific monitoring, collaborative working groups with Indigenous communities, and a commitment to enforcing environmental regulations and upholding treaty obligations. 1300 words, 10 minutes.
The EnvironmentAdjournment Proceedings
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
The member for Saanich—Gulf Islands is correct. There is too much noise in the chamber. We will wait for things to quiet down and then I will ask the hon. member to continue.
I think it is more or less quiet enough at the moment, so I would ask the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands to continue.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, the difficulty we have and the reason I raised this issue again is that I did ask in the House, on April 20, for a better answer.
The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment attempted to answer at that point, saying that the government was concerned and was “working closely with the Crown-indigenous working group along with the affected communities”, and that it would find “a long-term, science-based solution”.
The difficulty I have with that answer is that it has been more than a decade since one of the most prominent scientists in Canada, the late Dr. David Schindler appeared before the fisheries committee in this place and testified that his research had found the component parts, chemical contaminants that could have come only from the tailings ponds, not from any natural source in the environment, of contamination that violated the Fisheries Act, yet the government had taken no action. Dr. Schindler made it very clear to the fisheries committee that there had already been extensive contamination of the Athabasca River from what are called tailings ponds.
The difficulty is not so much that Imperial Oil is experiencing leaks. It is that the containment system is a failure. It is basically a sieve. What Imperial Oil did in the past, when it initially did not tell the community that it had what it could see was a breach of containment, was pump the water out of the areas where there was extensive recent contamination, and then pump it back into the same container, which was a sieve and was leaking.
Years before, I had participated in environmental assessment hearings where this particular oil sands mine was approved to go ahead, with conditions to make sure that the river, the treaty rights, the rights holders in the area, and the indigenous people were actually protected. Their health, the environment where they live and the fish they eat needed to be protected. Dr. David Schindler warned the environment committee of this in public testimony more than a decade before these recent, continuing leaks and breaches.
It would be easier for me to accept that the government, either the current government or previous governments, is concerned about the multiple breaches of the treaty rights of the rights holders throughout the area of the oil sands development, if it ever had been in the past. It would be easier to believe that something was going to happen, if it had ever happened in the past.
I put it again to the government: When will it show concern for the environment in this area and the continual breaches and leaks?
Karim Bardeesy LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the continuing work of the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, the leader of the Green Party, on issues related to contaminants and leakage. I also want to thank her for the interventions regarding the work of the late Dr. David Schindler, who raised some of these issues, as she mentioned, in the decades and years past. These were issues I covered for some time in my previous life as a journalist.
In terms of the issues that the hon. member has raised, we take these concerns regarding oil sands, tailings and related infrastructure seriously. The impacts of tailings pollution on water, ecosystems and community well-being continue to inform federal action. It is something we take very seriously, as we do the protection of the health of communities and the integrity of Canada's water and ecosystems. It is a core responsibility of the current government, and, I would say, of government, both now and for future generations.
We need to address risks associated with tailings management in a way that gives sustained attention and brings solutions grounded in sound science. Environment and Climate Change Canada is advancing work on oil sands mining effluent through structured, ongoing engagement with indigenous communities, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Northwest Territories, industry, environmental NGOs and other governmental departments.
The hon. member referred to the Crown-indigenous working group. That work continues, with Environment and Climate Change Canada and indigenous groups working together through that working group to develop long-term, science-based solutions that will form recommendations to the minister.
I think the hon. member knows that Environment and Climate Change Canada also co-leads the oil sands monitoring program with the Government of Alberta, together with indigenous communities and industry. The program, for the interest and knowledge of people watching at home, seeks to enhance the understanding of the effects of oil sands development activities through ambient environmental monitoring in the oil sands region. Monitoring data and reports are publicly available on the oil sands monitoring program portal.
I would add that, with some of the investments we have been making in science and research and some of the advances in technology, we hope this work can continue to accelerate and to inform policy-makers, government and hon. members in an even more timely fashion.
In conclusion, the Government of Canada will continue to work with all partners, stakeholders, indigenous communities, and provinces and territories to support ongoing reconciliation efforts, ensure sustained environmental protections and uphold public trust.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, the difficulty I have with this, again, is that we have had working groups and consultation groups, and if we ask the first nation peoples of Cold Lake, as well as those around the Cold Lake operations and the Kearl mine, there have been repeated breaches of their rights and contamination of their waterways, yet Imperial Oil last year, in 2025, had a profit of $3.5 billion. It seems that perhaps we have a disconnect between where the wealth of the area is going, which is not to sustain people's livelihood or assist in protecting the environment, and the treaty rights of the peoples of the region.
I would ask again that when the government considers reconciliation, it would consider honouring the promises made in the treaties we have.
Karim Bardeesy Liberal Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, ON
Mr. Speaker, treaty rights are sacrosanct to this government, as are the regimes that we have in place, including the regimes for non-compliance and the environmental damages penalties that we have under the legislation. Incidents such as the recent spill at Cold Lake are taken very seriously. Federal officials are in contact with their provincial counterparts and indigenous leadership to ensure that appropriate response and oversight measures are in place. If there is non-compliance with federal legislation, there is enforcement action that is available and will be pursued.
This shows why the work to strengthen oversight of tailings and mine water is so critical. How do we do that work? We do that work through indigenous partnership, through transparency and through rigorous scientific work.
Canadians expect strong environmental protection, informed, in part, through the advocacy of the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands. That is precisely what we will do to guide our actions.
The EnvironmentAdjournment Proceedings
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).
(The House adjourned at 10:34 p.m.)