Jim Carr

[Questions on the Order Paper, September 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), up to $500,000.00 Canadian has been budgeted to support the work of the panel.

In response to (b), all meetings will take place with stakeholders.

In response to (c), on June 30, 2016, the panel announced a series of roundtable and town hall meetings along the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline and marine corridors in Alberta and British Columbia. Further information on meeting times and exact location was released as it became available. All of the panel’s publicly announced meetings were open to the public. Information on these meetings is available on the panel’s web pages and was communicated to the public through traditional and social media.

In response to (d)(i) and (ii), the panel held 44 public meetings in Alberta and British Columbia communities as follows: July 7, 2016, in Calgary, Alberta; July 8, 2016, in Edmonton, Alberta; July 9, 2016, in Jasper, Alberta; July 19 and 20, 2016, in Kamloops, British Columbia; July 21, 2016, in Chilliwack, British Columbia; July 26, 2016, in Abbotsford, British Columbia; July 27 and 28, 2016, in Langley, British Columbia; August 9 to11, 2011, in Burnaby, British Columbia; August 16 to 18, 2016, in Vancouver, British Columbia; August 19, 2016, in North Vancouver, British Columbia; and August 22 and 23, 2016, Victoria, British Columbia

In response to (d)(iii), all of the panel’s publicly announced meetings were open to both invited speakers as well as members of the public. Over 2,400 Canadians attended these public meetings, and more than 650 made presentations to the panel.

In response to (d)(iv), over 200 stakeholder groups were invited to meet with the panel, regardless of their previous status before the National Energy Board. Input will also be accepted via email or an online questionnaire until September 30, 2016.

In response to (d)(v) (vi) (vii) (viii), up to $500,000.00 Canadian has been budgeted to support the work of the panel. This amount includes costs outlined in subquestions (v) to (viii).

In response to (e), as of September 7, 2016, total spending on the panel was approximately $245,000.

[Oil and Gas Industry, June 16th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, it is the responsibility of those who created the problem in the first place to clean it up. If the premier of Alberta or the premier of Saskatchewan believe it is a top priority for infrastructure investments in their province, then I am sure the government would be interested in considering their request.

[Natural Resources, June 15th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we have a constitutional and a moral obligation to meaningfully consult indigenous people, not only about major resource projects but about many elements of public policy in Canada.

We know that consultation over the last 10 years was insufficient. It was insufficient, using both constitutional and moral arguments. That is why we are committed to doing a better job.

[Natural Resources, June 15th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, indigenous communities have not been meaningfully consulted about major energy projects. Because the former government did not do a very good job, we have decided to do a better one. We announced a set of principles on January 27, the centre point of which was that kind of meaningful consultation. We have asked a ministerial panel of three individuals to go up and down the line for that kind of consultation. Two out of those three representatives are aboriginal women.

[Natural Resources, June 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, on January 27, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and I announced a set of principles that will govern the review of major projects. One of those major projects is energy east. The National Energy Board will spend 21 months reviewing the project, during which time all Canadians, mayors, premiers, leaders of the opposition, members of Parliament, and Canadians at large will have every opportunity to express their views.

[Natural Resources, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear to us on this side of the House that our international obligations will be taken seriously, as will our commitment to move our natural resources to market sustainably.

We have installed a new process to make that happen that has confidence in Canadians to make up their own minds, because the process will ask them their views. We will take seriously indigenous leaders because we have a constitutional and a moral obligation to consult with them meaningfully. Unfortunately, that has not been done in the House in a very long time.

[Natural Resources, June 13th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the government is committed to energy development that respects the integrity of the environment.

On the question of the energy east issue itself, the proponent has not yet installed the final papers with the regulator, the National Energy Board. When that happens there will be a process that will begin, during which all members of the House will have ample opportunity to give their views on the balance between economic growth and sustainable development.

[Natural Resources, June 8th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we believe that environmental sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand. That is why, when we assess these energy projects, we look at all aspects of their consequences on the environment and on jobs for Canadians. The energy east project is not yet before the regulator, and when it is, there will be many months for the members opposite to offer their opinions on both economic growth and environmental sustainability. I invite them to do both of those things.

[Natural Resources, June 8th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure on January 27, with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to announce a new set of rules in order to re-establish some kind of Canadian confidence in the regulatory system that, unfortunately, was broken after the last 10 years.

We have added time for a panel of three distinguished western Canadians to hear the concerns of the mayor of Vancouver, the mayor of Calgary, and indigenous communities up and down the line, so at the end people will say, “We have confidence in the regulatory process.”

[Natural Resources, June 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.

The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.