CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 142 Ï NUMBER 093 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 39th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, May 12, 2008 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 5697 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, May 12, 2008 The House met at 11 a.m. the consideration of a motion, the effect of which was to deem adopted the remaining parts of the bill and to agree that the bill be reported to the House without further debate or amendment. This motion was adopted on division by the committee. Prayers The hon. member for Windsor—Tecumseh also referred to previous Speaker's rulings where motions in amendment at report stage were selected on the basis that members involved did not have PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS the opportunity to present motions during the committee considera- CLIMATE CHANGE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT tion stage. Specifically, he cited a ruling given on January 28, 2003, regarding Bill C-13, An Act respecting assisted human reproduction, The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-377, An Act and a ruling given on November 6, 2001, regarding Bill C-10, An to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing Act respecting the national marine conservation areas of Canada. dangerous climate change, as reported (with amendments) from the committee. In his intervention on Friday, May 9, 2008, the hon. deputy Ï (1105) government House leader also reviewed the sequence of events surrounding the committee consideration of the bill and referred to [Translation] the two rulings just cited. He went on to argue that, in his view, the SPEAKER'S RULING committee's decision to report the bill back to the House prior to the The Speaker: There are four motions in amendment standing on May 7, 2008 deadline represents a conscious decision of the majority the notice paper for the report stage of Bill C-377, An Act to ensure of the committee not to make full usage of the time remaining and Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate thus to forego further opportunities to propose amendments at the change. committee stage. On this basis, he concluded that the motions at report stage should not be selected. [English] Four report stage motions have been submitted. These motions are The Chair does not ordinarily provide reasons for its selection of identical to committee amendments which were not considered due report stage motions in amendment. However, in light of the point of to the impasse, as described in the committee's report and the order raised on Thursday, May 8, 2008 by the hon. member for adoption by the committee of the motion to report the bill. The Windsor—Tecumseh and the subsequent intervention of the hon. motions relate to clauses of the bill which were deemed carried at the deputy government House leader, I would like to convey to the committee stage, quite clearly as a way out of the impasse. House the reasoning involved in considering these motions. [Translation] In his submission, the hon. member for Windsor—Tecumseh described the particular circumstances surrounding the committee The Chair is now faced with the matter of selection. The note consideration of Bill C-377. accompanying S. O. 76(5) reads, in part: “The Speaker ... will normally only select motions which were not or could not be During its consideration of the bill, the Standing Committee on presented [in committee].” Environment and Sustainable Development presented three separate reports. In the first of these reports, presented on April 14, 2008, the [English] committee described procedural difficulties it had encountered in the Having carefully reviewed the sequence of events and the course of its study of Bill C-377 and recommended some action that submissions made by the hon. member for Windsor—Tecumseh the House might wish to take. and the hon. deputy government House leader, the Chair is of the On April 29, 2008, in its second report relating to this bill, the opinion that we are facing very exceptional circumstances. The committee reported Bill C-377 with eight amendments. On the same committee recognized that the impasse was significant and wanted to day, the committee presented a third report. This report explained bring that situation to the attention of the House. It did so in a report that having begun its clause by clause study on March 3, 2008, which states in part: prolonged debate on clause 10 of the bill resulted in an impasse; and Given the impasse, the Committee opted not to consider the remaining clauses that as no further progress seemed possible, the committee turned to and parts of the Bill.... 5698 COMMONS DEBATES May 12, 2008 Private Members' Business Therefore, I am satisfied that these motions could not be presented (b) an analysis of Canada’s progress in meeting its commitment under section 5 during the committee consideration of the bill, and accordingly I and the interim Canadian greenhouse gas emission targets referred to in section 6; and have selected them for debate at report stage. Accordingly, Motions Nos. 1 to 4 will be grouped for debate and voted upon according to (c) any observations and recommendations on any matter that the Commissioner the voting pattern available at the Table. considers relevant. Ï (1110) (2) The Commissioner shall publish the report in any manner the Commissioner considers appropriate within the period referred to in subsection (1). [Translation] (3) The Commissioner shall submit the report to the Speaker of the House of I shall now propose motions numbered 1 to 4 to the House. Commons on or before the day it is published, and the Speaker shall table the report in the House on any of the first three days on which that House is sitting after the [English] Speaker receives it.” MOTIONS IN AMENDMENT Motion No. 4 Mr. Nathan Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP) moved: That Bill C-377 be amended by adding after line 12 on page 9 the following new Motion No. 1 clause: That Bill C-377, in Clause 2, be amended by adding after line 15 on page 2 the “NATIONAL ROUND TABLE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE following: ECONOMY ““greenhouse gases” means the following substances, as they appear on the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 13.2 (1) Within 180 days after the Minister prepares the target plan under 1999: subsection 6(1) or prepares a revised target plan under subsection 6(2), the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy established by section 3 of the (a) carbon dioxide, which has the molecular formula CO2; National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act shall perform the (b) methane, which has the molecular formula CH4; following with respect to the target plan or revised target plan: (c) nitrous oxide, which has the molecular formula N2O; (a) undertake research and gather information and analyses on the target plan or (d) hydrofluorocarbons that have the molecular formula CnHxF(2n+2-x) in which revised target plan in the context of sustainable development; and 0<n<6; (e) the following perfluorocarbons: (b) advise the Minister on issues that are within its purpose, as set out in section 4 (i) those that have the molecular formula CnF2n+2 in which 0<n<7, and of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act, including the following, to the extent that they are within that purpose: (ii) octafluorocyclobutane, which has the molecular formula C4F8; and (f) sulphur hexafluoride, which has the molecular formula SF6.” (i) the quality and completeness of the scientific, economic and technological Motion No. 2 evidence and analyses used to establish each target in the target plan or revised target plan, and That Bill C-377, in Clause 13, be amended by replacing lines 28 to 43 on page 8 and lines 1 to 12 on page 9 with the following: (ii) any other matters that the National Round Table considers relevant. “the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy established by section 3 of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act (2) The Minister shall shall perform the following with respect to the statement: (a) within three days after receiving the advice referred to in paragraph (1)(b): (a) undertake research and gather information and analyses on the statement in the context of sustainable development; and (i) publish it in any manner that the Minister considers appropriate, and (b) advise the Minister on issues that are within its purpose, as set out in section 4 (ii) submit it to the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons and the of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act, including the Speakers shall table it in their respective Houses on any of the first three days on following, to the extent that they are within that purpose: which that House is sitting after the day on which the Speaker receives the advice; (i) the likelihood that each of the proposed measures will achieve the emission and reductions projected in the statement, (b) within 10 days after receiving the advice, publish a notice in the Canada (ii) the likelihood that the proposed measures will enable Canada to meet its Gazette setting out how the advice was published and how a copy of the publication commitment under section 5 and meet the interim Canadian greenhouse gas emission may be obtained.” targets referred to in section 6, and (iii) any other matters that the National Round Table on the Environment and the Mr.