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Sable Island Natural Gas December 4th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, to be very specific let me quote Premier Bouchard of Quebec:
“It is preferable to leave it up to the market and the regulatory bodies to look after matters relating to natural gas transmission”.
That is what we are doing. If there are parties in the private sector who feel aggrieved by any technical aspect of the process, they are perfectly at liberty to appeal to the courts, which indeed some of them have done.
Sable Island Natural Gas December 4th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, every application before the National Energy Board is examined according to the same standards to make sure that every one of those applications complies with all the applicable rules and regulations.
In fact, that is a request that is made not only by the energy industry in this country but by all the premiers of all the provinces, including explicitly and specifically Premier Bouchard of Quebec.
Candu Reactors December 4th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, any country with which Canada does business must of course adhere to all the international rules pertaining to nuclear power and the use of uranium.
In addition to that, AECL is meticulous in doing its own prestudy of any situation to ensure that the facility can be constructed safely and it must of course be constructed not only to the standards that exist in the foreign country but to Canadian standards and international energy standards as well.
Candu Reactors December 4th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, rather than repeating the erroneous assertions of people in the United States who may be on sales missions in an effort to discredit the Canadian competition, the member might like to know that the Candu technology is robust, sound and secure. That is a finding not only by the Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada but also in fact by American consultants who examined Candu and found it to be just fine.
Sable Island Natural Gas December 4th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, a joint independent panel was established by the Government of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia to conduct a review. That panel worked for 10 months. It held 20 information meetings and 56 days of public hearings. It heard from 125 different intervenors. It was open, transparent, balanced and fair, and I believe it did a very thorough job.
Sable Island Natural Gas December 4th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman should know that the regulatory process is not yet complete. There are some stages yet to go.
The Government of Canada is being absolutely meticulous in adhering to the spirit and the letter of the regulatory process, its integrity and its independence. When the final process is completed the appropriate decision will be taken. It is not done yet.
Questions On The Order Paper December 3rd, 1997
The Cassiar asbestos mine in British Columbia has not been reopened. The project mentioned is in fact a pilot project to reprocess waste from the old mine.
The Cassiar pilot project went into service on October 19, 1997 and is producing only for test purposes. To date, there has been no industrial production.
The pilot project is financed entirely by the private sector. Natural Resources Canada has not been involved in any way in the opening of the Cassiar pilot plant.
The Environment December 3rd, 1997
Mr. Speaker, all provinces are invited to take part in developing the Canadian implementation plan from Kyoto. The Government of Canada has stressed no unreasonable share of the burden for any region or sector, no carbon tax, deeper commitments by the private sector, greater energy efficiency, more renewable and alternative sources of energy, a powerful focus on research and development and the maximum use of international flexibility provisions. All of that is 100% consistent with what the provinces have suggested.
National Energy Board December 3rd, 1997
Mr. Speaker, inquiries by members of Parliament with respect to particular spending items are perfectly legitimate and the government should inquire into those items when they are raised.
However, I think it is going far beyond the bounds of reason and fair play for the hon. member to leave that kind of slur on the record without providing the official even an opportunity to respond.
National Energy Board December 3rd, 1997
Mr. Speaker, the National Energy Board is one of the most distinguished regulatory agencies in this country.
There has been nothing drawn to my attention that indicates any irregularity whatsoever. Because an hon. member has inquired, I too will inquire, but there is nothing on the record that is known to me that would justify that kind of slur.