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44 th Parliament, 1 st Session

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Download as PDF

THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

EVIDENCE

OTTAWA, Thursday, May 2, 2024

The Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources met this day at 9:14 a.m. [ET] to study Bill C-226,

An Act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice, and, in camera, to study emerging issues related to the committee’s mandate.

Senator Josée Verner ( Deputy Chair ) in the chair.

[ Translation ]

The Deputy Chair: My name is Josée Verner. I am a senator from Quebec and the deputy chair of the committee.

This is a meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.

[ English ]

Before we begin, I would like to remind all senators and other meeting participants of the following important preventive measures. To prevent disruptive and potentially harmful audio feedback incidents during our meeting that could cause injuries, we remind all in-person participants to keep their earpieces away from all microphones at all times.

As indicated in the communiqué from the Speaker to all senators on Monday, April 29, the following measures have been taken to help prevent audio feedback incidents. All earpieces have been replaced by a model which greatly reduces the probability of audio feedback. The new earpieces are black in colour,

whereas the former earpieces were grey. Please only use a black, approved earpiece.

[ Translation ]

By default, all unused earpieces will be unplugged at the start of a meeting.

When you are not using your earpiece, please place it face down, on the middle of the round sticker that you see in front of you on the table, where indicated.

Please consult the card on the table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents. Please ensure that you are seated in a manner that increases the distance between microphones. Participants must plug their earpieces only in the microphone console located directly in front of them.

These measures are in place so that we can conduct our business without interruption and to protect the health and safety of all participants, including the interpreters.

Thank you all for your co-operation.

[ English ]

I will ask my fellow committee members to introduce themselves.

Senator Miville-Dechêne: Julie Miville-Dechêne, Quebec.

Senator Sorensen: Karen Sorensen, Alberta.

Senator McCallum: Mary Jane McCallum, Manitoba.

Senator Wells: David Wells, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Senator Galvez: Rosa Galvez, Quebec.

Senator Arnot: David Arnot, Saskatchewan.

The Deputy Chair: I wish to welcome all of you and the viewers across the country who are watching our proceedings.

Today the committee undertakes clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-226,

An Act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice.

[ Translation ]

I’d like to welcome the officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada, who are with us in the room today. We have Amanda Monforton, Director, Policy Development, Environmental Justice and Gender-based Analysis Plus, and Stephanie Lane, Executive Director, Legislative Governance.

[ English ]

I would also like to remind senators of a number of points.

If at any point a senator is not clear where we are in the process, please ask for clarification. I want to ensure that at all times we all have the same understanding of where we are in the process.

In terms of the mechanics of the process, when more than one amendment is proposed to be moved in a clause, amendments should be proposed in the order of the lines of the clause.

If a senator is opposed to an entire clause, the proper process is not to move a motion to delete the entire clause, but, rather, to vote against the clause as standing as part of the bill.

[ Translation ]

Some amendments that are moved may have consequential effects on other parts of the bill. It is therefore useful to this process if a senator moving an amendment identifies for the committee other clauses in the bill where the amendment could have an effect. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for members of the committee to be consistent in their decision making.

Since no notice is required to move amendments, they obviously may not have undergone preliminary analysis to establish which ones are of consequence or contradictory to other provisions.

If committee members have any questions about the process or the propriety of anything occurring, they can certainly raise a point of order. As chair, I will listen to the arguments, decide when there has been sufficient discussion of the procedural matter and make a ruling.

[ English ]

The committee is the ultimate master of its business within the bounds established by the Senate, and a ruling can be appealed to the full committee by asking whether the ruling shall be sustained.

I wish to remind honourable senators that if there is ever any uncertainty as to the result of a voice vote or a show of hands, the most effective route is to request a roll call vote which, obviously, provides unambiguous results.

Finally, senators are aware that any tied vote negates the motion in question.

[ Translation ]

Are there any questions? If not, we can begin.

Is it agreed that the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-226,

An Act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Motion agreed to.

[ English ]

The Deputy Chair: Shall the title stand postponed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Agreed.

Shall the

preamble stand postponed?

Some hon. senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall clause 1, which contains the

short title, stand postponed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall clause 2 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall clause 3 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall clause 4 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

[ Translation ]

The Deputy Chair: Shall clause 5 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall clause 1, which contains the

short title, carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall the

preamble carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall the title carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Deputy Chair: Shall the bill carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

[ English ]

The Deputy Chair: Does the committee wish to consider appending observations to the report?

Hon. Senators: No.

The Deputy Chair: Is it agreed that I report this bill to the Senate in both official languages?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

[ Translation ]

The Deputy Chair: Thank you all.

(The committee continued in camera.)

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