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. 32

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development met at 3:34 p.m. this day, in Room 209, West Block, the Chair, Bob Mills, presiding.

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

Acting Members present: Denise Savoie for Nathan Cullen.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Tim Williams, Analyst ; Sam Banks, Analyst . House of Commons: Joann Garbig, Legislative Clerk.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Wednesday, February 13, 2008, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-474, An Act to require the development and implementation of a National Sustainable Development Strategy, the reporting of progress against a standard set of environmental indicators and the appointment of an independent Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development accountable to Parliament, and to adopt specific goals with respect to sustainable development in Canada, and to make consequential amendments to another Act.

The Committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

Pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), consideration of Clause 1 is postponed.

By unanimous consent, Clause 2 was allowed to stand.

On Clause 3,

Mark Warawa moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 41 on page 2 with the following:

“ing a Federal Sustainable Development Strat-”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mark Warawa and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 9; NAYS: 1.

Mark Warawa moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 3, be amended by replacing line 42 on page 2 and lines 1 and 2 on page 3 with the following:

“egy that will make environmental decision-making more”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mark Warawa and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 9; NAYS: 1.

Clause 3, as amended, carried by a show of hands: YEAS: 9; NAYS: 1.

Clause 4 carried.

By unanimous consent, Clause 5 was allowed to stand.

On Clause 6,

Mark Warawa moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 6, be amended by replacing the heading before line 14 and lines 14 to 23 on page 4 the following:

“COMMITTEE

6. A committee of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, consisting of a Chairperson and other members of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, shall have oversight of the development and implementation of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mark Warawa and it was agreed to.

Clause 6, as amended, carried.

On new Clause 6.1,

Mark Warawa moved, — That Bill C-474 be amended by adding after line 23 on page 4 the following:

“OFFICE

6.1 (1) The Minister shall establish a Sustainable Development Office within the Department of the Environment to develop and maintain systems and procedures to monitor progress on implementation of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

(2) The Office shall, at least once every five years after the day on which this Act comes into force, provide the Minister with a report on the progress of the federal government in implementing the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. The Minister shall cause the report to be laid before the House of Commons on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the Minister receives it.”

John Godfrey moved, — That the amendment be amended by replacing the word “five” with the word “three”.

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of John Godfrey and it was agreed to on division.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mark Warawa, as amended, and it was agreed to.

On Clause 7,

Mark Warawa moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 7, be amended by replacing lines 24 to 27 on page 4 with the following:

“7.(1) The Minister shall appoint a Sustainable Development Advisory Council composed of one representative”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mark Warawa and it was agreed to.

John Godfrey moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 7, be amended by replacing line 30 on page 4 with the following:

“(a) Aboriginal peoples;”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of John Godfrey and it was agreed to on division.

John Godfrey moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 7, be amended by adding after line 37 on page 4 the following:

“(3) The representatives appointed to the Sustainable Development Advisory Council shall hold office without remuneration and shall not be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the course of their duties.”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of John Godfrey and it was agreed to on division.

Clause 7, as amended, carried.

On Clause 8,

At 4:50 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:54 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Mark Warawa moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 8, be amended by replacing the heading before line 1 on page 5 and line 1 on page 5 to line 14 on page 6 with the following:

“FEDERAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

8. (1) Within two years after this Act comes into force and within every three-year period after that, the Minister shall develop, in accordance with this section, a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy based on the precautionary principle.

(2) The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy shall set out federal sustainable development goals and targets and an implementation strategy for meeting each target and identify the minister responsible for meeting each target.

(3) The Minister shall submit a draft of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Sustainable Development Advisory Council, the standing committee of the House of Commons that normally considers matters relating to the environment or to any other committee that the House may designate for the purpose of this section and the public for review and comment, for which the Minister shall allow a period of not less than 120 days.”

Debate arose thereon.

At 5:05 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 5:06 p.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mark Warawa and it was agreed to.

On motion of John Godfrey, it was agreed, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 8, be amended by adding after line 14 on page 6 the following:

“(4) The Minister shall at the same time submit the draft of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Commissioner for review and comment, including as to whether the targets and implementation strategies can be assessed, for which the Minister shall allow a period of not less than 120 days.”

Clause 8, as amended, carried.

On Clause 9,

On motion of Mark Warawa, it was agreed, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 9, be amended by replacing lines 17 to 22 on page 6 with the following:

“Federal Sustainable Development Strategy to the Governor in Council for approval as the official Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.”

On motion of Mark Warawa, it was agreed, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 9, be amended by replacing line 24 on page 6 with the following:

“Federal Sustainable Development Strategy in”

Mark Warawa moved, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 9, be amended by replacing line 27 on page 6 with the following:

“first 15 days thereafter on which that House is”

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mark Warawa and it was agreed to.

On motion of Mark Warawa, it was agreed, — That Bill C-474, in Clause 9, be amended by replacing line 29 on page 6 with the following:

“(3) A Federal Sustainable Development”

Clause 9, as amended, carried.

At 5:23 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Normand Radford
Clerk of the Committee

2008/05/15 4:48 p.m.