ENVI Committee Meeting

Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.

For an advanced search, use Publication Search tool.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Previous day publication Next day publication

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 2

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development met in a televised session at 3:33 p.m. this day, in Room 253-D, Centre Block, the Chair, Bob Mills, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Bernard Bigras, Nathan Cullen, Hon. John Godfrey, Luc Harvey, David J. McGuinty, Bob Mills, Hon. Geoff Regan, Maurice Vellacott, Mark Warawa and Jeff Watson.

Acting Members present: Roger Valley for Francis Scarpaleggia.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Tim Williams, Analyst.

Witnesses: Office of the Auditor General of Canada: Ron Thompson, Interim Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development; Richard Arseneault, Principal; Andrew Ferguson, Principal, Sustainable Development Strategies, Audits and Studies.

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), the Committee commenced consideration of the Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development for the year 2007, referred to the Committee on October 30, 2007.

Ron Thompson made made a statement and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.

At 4:30 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:34 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the Committee on November 20, 2008, the Committee commenced its study of Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) and their Toxins.

It was agreed, — That the Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development presented to the House on June 13, 2007 in the First Session of the 39th Parliament be adopted in this session of Parliament and that the Chair present this as a Report to the House at the earliest opportunity.

The Committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to Committee business.

It was agreed, — That the tentative schedule of the Committee be as follows:

- November 22, 2007, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.: Meeting on IPCC Report, if witnesses are available. If not available, an additional meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 28, 2007;

- November 27, 2007: Meeting on Canada's position in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Bali: Canadian experts;

- November 29, 2007: Meeting with the Hon. John Baird, Minister of the Environment on Canada's position in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Bali;

- December 4, 2007: Supplementary Estimates (A) 2007-2008: Departmental Officials;

- December 6, 2007: Bill C-377, An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change;

- December 11, 2007: Bill C-377, An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change;

- December 13, 2007: Budgetary Implications: Environment Canada.

It was agreed, — That the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development study effective solutions to climate change and rising polutions such as:

- carbon capture and storage;

- garbage gasification techniques; and

- clean coal technology.

It was agreed, — That any member of the Committee be entitled to submit a dissenting or supplementary opinion to any Committee Report in accordance to the Standing Order and the conditions imposed by the Committee.

At 5:30 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Normand Radford
Clerk of the Committee

2008/09/23 4:25 p.m.