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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.

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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 97
Tuesday, February 13, 2024, 3:33 p.m. to 6:09 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Francis Scarpaleggia, Chair (Liberal)

Library of Parliament
• Alison Clegg, Analyst
• Sarah Yakobowski, Analyst
As an individual
• Steven Frey, Director of Research, Aquanty
DataStream
• Aislin Livingstone, Program Manager
International Institute for Sustainable Development
• Scott Higgins, Senior Research Scientist, Experimental Lakes Area
Living Lakes Canada
• Kat Hartwig, Executive Director
• Georgia Peck, Manager, Lakes Program
• Paige Thurston, Program Manager, Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework
Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association
• Duncan Morrison, Executive Director
Ottawa Riverkeeper
• Larissa Holman, Director, Science and Policy
Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition
• Claire Malcolmson, Executive Director
Fondation Rivières
• André Bélanger, General Manager
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, the committee resumed its study of freshwater.

Scott Higgins, Claire Malcolmson and André Bélanger made statements and answered questions.

At 4:41 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:48 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Aislin Livingstone, Kat Hartwig, Duncan Morrison, Steven Frey and Larissa Holman made statements and, with Paige Thurston, answered questions.

Motion

Gérard Deltell moved, — Given that:

  1. the Liberal government is planning to hike taxes on Canadians by increasing their carbon tax by 23% on April 1, 2024;
  2. a typical family of four will have to pay $700 more in groceries in 2024;
  3. nearly two million Canadians used a food bank in a single month in 2023;
  4. Canadians cannot afford further tax hikes;
  5. Minister Guilbeault admitted that “the government does not measure the annual amount of emissions that are directly reduced by federal carbon pricing”;
  6. Canada now ranks 62 out of 67 countries, dropping four places from the previous year, according to the Climate Change Performance Index;

The committee call on the Liberal government to cancel their planned tax hike on April 1, 2024; abandon their plan to quadruple the carbon tax to provide Canadians financial relief on their gas, groceries, and home heating; acknowledge that the carbon tax is not an environmental plan, it’s a tax plan; and that the committee report its opinion to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

Motion

Lloyd Longfield moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Daniel Blaikie, Sophie Chatel, Lloyd Longfield, Monique Pauzé, Leah Taylor Roy, Adam van Koeverden — 7;

NAYS: Gérard Deltell, Michael Kram, Branden Leslie, Dan Mazier — 4.

Questioning of the witnesses resumed.

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

It was agreed, — That, in relation to the study of toxic leak of tailings ponds, the proposed budget in the amount of $86,928.58, for the committee’s travel to Fort McMurray, Alberta, Fort Chipewyan, Alberta and Wood Buffalo, Alberta in the Spring 2024, be adopted.

Motion

Leah Taylor Roy moved, — That in reference to the water study the committee hold two additional meetings after its 13th meeting to hear from witnesses, with each panel including one witness suggested by each party as per usual; that the committee also hold a further additional two meetings exclusively dedicated to hearing from representatives of those provinces and territories able to attend.

Debate arose thereon.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on division.

At 6:09 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Natalie Jeanneault
Clerk of the committee