Environment committee  I think the point is that we're trying to get this done and we think this may be a fundamental piece. Please don't say that we don't care about climate change because I think all of us around this table care very much.

Environment committee  We consider the report that comes back to us on May 31, we have the spring report from the commissioner on June 2, and the climate change study begins on the 21st and 23rd. That's what I'm suggesting. June 16 was the draft report of the federally protected areas.

Environment committee  I'm actually eliminating one of the meetings at the first end of the CEPA, but I'm taking some of the days from the climate change study and moving it to CEPA.

Environment committee  Let's move climate change to the fall.

Environment committee  There's no hurry, but I would counter the same.... The minister is meeting with her provincial counterparts to discuss the climate change initiatives. Really, what are we going to add to that discussion with two meetings in June that we can't take more time for in the fall? We're already into CEPA. Let's continue that discussion so that it stays fresh and we can move forward on it and hopefully continue to move it along more quickly.

Environment committee  Then we just push everything down. Also, I agree with Mike's suggestion, given the fact that the climate change discussions are going to be happening throughout the summer. My understanding is that it won't be until October that the premiers and the Prime Minister will be meeting again. Nathan may not agree with me, but I think there's enough flexibility there to do justice to that study, yet go ahead with what we had agreed to.

Environment committee  We did agree that we would have that concurrently with CEPA, and that it would come ahead of the climate change discussion. I'm getting worried because we're trying to do a lot in this committee. We have lots of balls in the air. We're all trying to accommodate each other with our ambitions and our hopes for this committee.

Environment committee  Then it's really up to the committee. We've now lost one day for CEPA, so what are we doing with this climate change study? Then we were again going to go back to federally protected areas on June 6 for the report that was supposed to be drafted, in this case, on the 17th. I have a feeling people aren't with me.

Environment committee  Then we have agreed at the subcommittee that we will move on to the fourth subject matter, which is a climate change study on June 7, 9, and 14. Then we go back to the federally protected areas to try to do a draft, the consideration of—no, sorry, my fault. We were going to do drafting instructions for the federally protected areas on May 12.

Environment committee  Madam Chair, my apologies, could I just ask a question? Was the climate change study—June 7, 9, and 14—on our original work plan passed by this committee, or was it just the subcommittee that looked at that?

Environment committee  We would do that third. It has bumped up, clearly. Then after those are done, we would move on to climate change. That's the way the motion was approved unanimously. Obviously, we have not completely followed that.

Environment committee  That's why I and other witnesses have put forward the recommendation that we do what the OECD has said is an international best practice and resituate responsibility. It could be joint responsibility, so that we have the best of Environment and Climate Change Canada but also the muscle, as you say, of one or more of the central agencies. That's fundamentally important going forward.

Environment committee  Then in section 7, of course, we have the establishment of an office within the Department of Environment and Climate Change to develop and maintain systems and procedures to monitor progress on implementation. You have responsibility within the minister's office. You have responsibility within the Privy Council Office.

Environment committee  I said earlier that the committee that's referenced in section 6, in effect, would be the cabinet committee on environment, climate change, and energy. In terms of policy proposals coming forward from that committee for full cabinet ratification, the policy deliberations would happen there. With respect to section 7 and the establishment of the office, which other witnesses have commented on, saying that the office should not be located at Environment but at another central agency, the view would be that given the progress that's been made to date, while not perfect, trying to dial that back and start over with a new creation within a central agency is going to have repercussions in terms of maintaining momentum to move forward.

Environment committee  Generally, I think the level of collaboration across departments is quite good. I would add that in terms of establishing the cabinet committee on the environment, climate change, and energy, key departments that are involved in those high-profile files, which will clearly have a direct impact on the environment and on sustainability, are now being pushed more to work together more closely given that the ministers are around the table together more often and making linkages between the various priorities they're bringing forward as per their mandate letters.