Environment Committee on Feb. 9th, 2023

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I'm happy to read it out. It's that Bill S-5, in clause 22, be amended by adding after line 27 on page 21 the following: “(3) If more than two years have elapsed after the publication of a statement or an amended statement under subsection (1) or (2), as the case may be, without the minister having published all of the regulations or instruments proposed in the statement, the minister shall publish in the annual report a statement made jointly by the ministers indicating the reasons for the delay and a time frame within which each of the proposed regulations or instruments is to be published.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Do we need to debate this subamendment or should we vote on it?

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

I believe we talked about extending the 24 months to 42 months.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I wonder whether that's necessary, if we now have an annual report rather than an environmental registry.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Okay.

Shall we vote?

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

I'll ask for some input on that as well from the officials before we vote.

Does this address some of the concerns you have about the overburden on resources? That would be helpful.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Wait a moment, please.

In your original version, apparently you didn't have the words “as the case may be”.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I apologize. I may have been reading from an alternate draft.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Then we don't need—

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

You can take “as the case may be” out.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Okay.

We have Ms. Collins.... No.

I'm a little confused here, because we're on the subamendment.

Ms. Collins or Mr. Kurek, do you wish to speak on the subamendment or the whole amendment?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

I'd like to hear from the officials. I may then have something to say—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Is this on the subamendment?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

No, it's on the amendment, but I would like to hear what the officials have to say.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Okay.

Ms. Taylor Roy, do you wish to speak on the subamendment?

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Yes, please. It's on the subamendment, but I guess.... No, it's not.

The annual reports—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It's on the amendment.

Okay, let's go to the amendment. We have Ms. Collins, Mr. Kurek and Ms. Taylor Roy, but we're going to hear from the officials first.

[Laura Farquharson]

I would say that reporting in the annual report is better than reporting each time, in terms of administrative burden.

I'm not sure.... I was listening to the subamendment. Having a statement by both ministers in the annual report doesn't make sense to me, the way it's written. I'm trying to figure it out, because I think you've already passed a section about the annual report.

I'm wondering about the placement of it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Go ahead, Ms. Collins.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I think the difference is that the one we passed doesn't require indicating the reasons for the delay or a time frame within which each of the proposed regulations or instruments would be published. I think that's the difference.

If the officials have suggestions for language that would be better, rather than the joint statement, I'm very open.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I'm not sure they're permitted to offer language for amendments. I don't think so. I could be wrong.

We're still on the subamendment.

Go ahead, Ms. Taylor Roy.

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

It's not on the subamendment. I want to speak on the amendment.

Now that it's in the annual report.... I guess the subamendment changes the amendment to some extent, because now it's in the annual report.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Well, we have to vote on the subamendment, so let's vote on the subamendment. Then we can then keep talking about the amendment.

Go ahead, Mr. Clerk.

(Subamendment agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

The subamendment passes, so we can now go back to the amendment.

I have Ms. Collins, Mr. Kurek and Ms. Taylor Roy.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I think I'll pass it along and hear from my colleagues before I say anything.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Go ahead, Mr. Kurek.