Bryan May

[Natural Resources, June 19th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to preventing and managing pollution from industrial sectors. Effluent from coal mines in Canada can be a source of pollution that harms aquatic life, specifically fish and fish habitat.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is developing coal mining effluent regulations under the Fisheries Act. These regulations would reduce the risks to fish and fish habitat by limiting levels of harmful substances in coal mining effluent. Once in place, they will apply to the 28 existing coal mines in Canada and to all future coal mine expansions and new coal mine projects.

[Natural Resources, June 19th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to address the question by the hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona regarding the impact assessment process and coal mining.

I want to assure the member that the government will continue to lead the global effort to phase out coal-powered electricity and the mining of thermal coal, and to ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada as swiftly as possible, and no later than 2030.

In June 2021, the government issued its policy statement on the new thermal coal mining or expansion projects, stating that these projects are likely to cause unacceptable environmental effects within federal jurisdiction and are not aligned with Canada's domestic and international climate change commitments. Canada is taking decisive action to address climate change, and we will consider the policy statement in deciding whether to designate any new thermal coal mines or expansions under the Impact Assessment Act.

With respect to metallurgical coal mines, we will consider designating any new mines or expansions that have the potential to release selenium into the environment. Canada has a rigorous federal impact assessment process that considers the positive and negative environmental, economic, social and health impacts of mining projects, among others. The type of projects subject to this process are identified in the regulations known as the project list under the Impact Assessment Act.

Summit Coal Inc.'s proposed summit mine 14 project near Grand Cache is a metallurgical coal mine, not a thermal coal mine, and is well below the threshold identified in the project list that would automatically trigger a federal assessment process.

In August 2022, a number of first nations wrote the Minister of Environment and Climate Change about the proposed summit mine 14 project, and requested we consider designating it for assessment. To support our consideration of this request, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada provided the minister advice about the project informed by science, indigenous and community knowledge, input from the proponent, and consultation with Alberta, other jurisdictions and potentially affected indigenous groups.

On November 14, 2022, the minister decided, after carefully considering the scientific analysis and advice from the agency, to not designate the project. His response and the analysis that the agency provided him are publicly available on the Canadian impact assessment registry in support of transparency and accountability.

[National Defence, June 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, that soldiers are equipped with modern and effective equipment remains a priority to the Canadian Forces. Some examples of progress in 2023 include the delivery of upgraded combat clothing; the ongoing delivery of modern weapons for use by soldiers at home and during deployment, including the new C22 pistol; and the upcoming delivery of personal equipment, including next-generation full ballistic helmets, gas mask carriers, thermal blankets and sniper concealment kit.

Procuring modern equipment for the Canadian Armed Forces remains our government's top priority.

[National Defence, June 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam for his hard work and his commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces.

Recently, I met with provincial counterparts at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown for Seamless Canada's annual meeting. We discussed key initiatives, such as improving military spousal employment, reliable health care and access to child care.

Our government is dedicated to bolstering the resources and services available to the Canadian Armed Forces, so that their families can move and serve seamlessly across our country.

[Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act, June 14th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, at the beginning, the member took us back in time when he talked about Ken Dryden and the work he did to create universal child care back then. When he was doing that, I worked for a little organization called the YMCA, and we had a huge child care program under our watch. I was very excited about that potential and really disappointed to see it collapse under the Conservatives.

I am wondering if the hon. member could maybe contemplate what it would have been like today if we had been able to get that universal child care in place.

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 8th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), for large-scale infrastructure projects that require security cameras or closed-circuit video equipment, Public Services and Procurement Canada, PSPC, or Defence Construction Canada, DCC, act as the contracting authority and enter into a service contract with a company on behalf of the Department of National Defence. In these instances, the company awarded the service contract is responsible for the procurement and installation of security equipment, including security cameras or closed-circuit video equipment, based on the technical standards set out in the contract.

The security requirements of a project are assessed through the security requirements check list, SRCL. Any company that enters into a service contract for a large-scale infrastructure project must meet and adhere to the security requirements, such as the level of personnel security level that a company and its employees require as applicable. The installation of security systems in sensitive areas would require a higher security clearance, up to and including secret. The SRCL is validated by security authorities.

For small-scale purchases of security cameras or closed-circuit video equipment, including those used for Canadian Armed Forces, CAF, training purposes, National Defence may procure equipment directly from a vendor that meets the technical and security standards of the requirement.

National Defence does not centrally track the manufacturer origin of security cameras or closed-circuit video equipment in use at bases and facilities operated by the Department of National Defence, DND, or the CAF. A manual search of individual contracts, in concert with other implicated government partners, would be required and could not be completed within the allotted time.

With regard to part (b), National Defence works closely with Five Eyes partners on a range of defence and security issues; however, further details cannot be shared for operational security reasons.

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 8th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, Canada remains committed to maintaining the defence budget increases that were set out in Canada’s defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged”. This will increase Canada’s total defence budget from $18.9 billion in 2016-17 to $32.7 billion by 2026-27, an increase of more than 70%.

This is an ongoing process and figures on planned spending continue to be refined. Indeed, at any given time, projected calculations can fluctuate based on changes in defence investments, capabilities and needs. Further, Canada’s defence spending and procurement will be based on threat analyses and assessments of needs.

For capabilities more specifically, Canada will begin exceeding the 20% guideline on military equipment spending in 2023, reaching approximately 33% by 2026.

In addition, Canada continues its steady and reliable commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO missions, operations and activities. Canada has been leading enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Latvia since its inception, and working on a significant expansion of it, in line with the commitments made in Madrid. Canada has recently led one of the Standing NATO Maritime Groups. Canada will host a NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence in Montreal. Halifax had been proposed as the location for the North American regional office of NATO’s defence innovation accelerator for the North Atlantic, DIANA.

Annual reports on defence expenditures of NATO countries, including Canada, are published in March of each year, and can be found at the following web page: NATO - News: Defence expenditure of NATO countries (2014-2022), 21-Mar.-2023.

Finally, as announced in budget 2022, National Defence is undertaking a review of its defence policy, which will include considerations for defence spending.

[Wildfires in Canada, June 5th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I want to reiterate what he said about firefighters and the amazing work that they are doing and thank them for that work.

I would also like to take the opportunity, while I am standing, to thank the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces, who are on the ground in every province that is experiencing these horrible fires right now.

He talked a bit about the work that the provinces are doing. I want to just make sure that the House knows that 60% of the missions that we have right now in defence are aid to civil authority. That has been the case for the last couple of years.

I would suggest that we are stepping up, that we are supporting where these climate emergencies are happening, whether it be fires, floods or hurricanes and hurricane Fiona.

Does the member believe that the provinces are pulling their weight and are doing their fair share to prepare for these inevitable climate events?

[Points of Order, June 2nd, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that the obstruction happened before the vote as well. I did the whip walk, and for the first time ever in this House that I have seen, it was done by—

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 31st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, National Defence remains committed to maintaining the defence budget increases set out in Canada’s defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged”. These investments will increase the total National Defence budget from $18.9 billion in 2016-17 to $32.7 billion by 2026-27, an increase of more than 70%.

This is an ongoing process and figures on planned spending continue to be refined. Indeed, at any given time, projected calculations can fluctuate based on changes in defence investments, capabilities and needs. Further, Canada’s defence spending and procurement will be based on threat analyses and assessments of needs.

Annual reports on defence expenditures of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, countries, including Canada, are published in March of each year, and can be found at the following link: NATO - News: Defence expenditure of NATO countries (2014-2022), 21-Mar.-2023.

Finally, as announced in budget 2022, National Defence is undertaking a review of its defence policy, which will include considerations for defence spending.