CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 138 Ï NUMBER 118 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Friday, June 13, 2003 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire´´ at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 7275 HOUSE OF COMMONS Friday, June 13, 2003 The House met at 10 a.m. As a nation active in Antarctica, we must provide clarity on Canada's role in the region to Canadians present there and to the Prayers global community. We must establish mechanisms that will prevent or mitigate potential negative environmental impacts of human activity. Ï (1005) [English] The Antarctic was once available to only the most adventurous of explorers and is now visited regularly by tourists and scientists, BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE including Canadians. With continued scientific research, commercial Hon. Don Boudria (Minister of State and Leader of the fishing and increased tourism, we must be cognizant of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, there cumulative impacts of human action. have been consultations among all parties in the House and I believe The challenge that nations operating in the Antarctic face is to you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I manage activities in a way that balances the benefits of access with move: the need for environmental protection. The Madrid protocol, which That, if at any time that the House stands adjourned during June, July, August and came into force in 1998, achieves that balance through three key September, 2003, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates has ready a report, when that report is deposited with the Clerk of the House, it shall obligations. be deemed to have been duly presented to the House. First, it commits parties to the comprehensive protection of the The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it Antarctic environment and designates Antarctica as a natural reserve the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? devoted to peace and science. Some hon. members: Agreed. Second, it sets out the principles for environmental protection, (Motion agreed to) requiring an environmental impact assessment of all activities before they are allowed to proceed. Third, the Madrid protocol bans activities harmful to the Antarctic GOVERNMENT ORDERS environment, such as commercial mineral resource activity, damage to historic Antarctic sites and the harmful disturbance of wildlife. [English] ANTARCTIC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT The protocol's approach to environmental protection and con- servation is similar to the approach taken by Canada in the areas of Hon. Don Boudria (for the Minister of the Environment) environmental assessments, marine pollution countermeasures, as moved that Bill C-42, an act respecting the protection of the well as our general approach toward national parks and species at Antarctic Environment, be read the second time and referred to a risk. committee. What Bill C-42 does is it provides the legislative basis needed to Mr. Alan Tonks (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of implement the requirements of the Madrid protocol in Canada. the Environment, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity Canadian tour companies and scientists are already voluntarily to speak to Bill C-42. complying with the protocol using the approval mechanisms established by other nations. Those individuals and groups have Bill C-42 is enabling legislation that will allow Canada to ratify consistently called upon Canada to ratify the protocol. the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, commonly known as the Madrid protocol. It is time for Canada to take responsibility for the activities of its nationals in the Antarctic. Since signing the protocol in 1991, Canada has been committed to its ratification. By doing so, Canada will be joining the other 29 Bill C-42 is consistent with established Canadian legal policy and nations that have ratified the protocol. It will commit the country to practice and is in accordance with international law. It is consistent the protection of this unique ecosystem, from which we can learn a with the approach taken by other countries that have ratified the great deal about the world's environment. protocol. 7276 COMMONS DEBATES June 13, 2003 Government Orders The history of Antarctica is one of inspiration. It inspired people and cooperation in scientific research. It agrees to the exchange of like Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton and the men that joined them, information, suspends all territorial claims and prohibits nuclear including other Canadians. It inspired ground breaking scientific activities and disposal of radioactive waste. research. Perhaps most important, it inspired the nations of the world to come together in a spirit of cooperation and multilateralism to The act would become part of the Antarctic Treaty system and that declare that there would be a place on earth dedicated to peace and is something the Canadian Alliance endorses and supports whole- science. heartedly. We in the Alliance recognize the importance of an ethical dimension in our foreign policy and will do what is necessary to It is now time for Canada to complete the process that began a achieve that after the next election. decade ago and join the world in preserving and protecting the environment that has inspired so many in the past so that it will I should pause here for the benefit of Liberals to define the word continue to inspire many more in the future. ethical. It means morally correct and honourable. If the Liberals want me to define morally correct and honourable, well I could go on and We have seen only too well what damage can be caused to fragile on but I do not want to get off the topic. frozen tundra if rules and procedures are not put in place and a common understanding is not established. The Canadian Alliance believes that responsible exploration, Antarctica is the last great wilderness on earth. It is not the development, conservation and renewal of our environment is territory of one nation, but the responsibility of all people in the critically important. The act would stop exploitation and ruination of world. a unique environment before it begins and that is worth supporting. Canada has a well deserved reputation as a responsible polar We have something in common with the bottom of the world nation that protects its environmental heritage. That reputation must sitting where we do at the top of the world. Outside of northern be extended to Antarctica as well. Canada and the Arctic, the Antarctic is one of the few frontiers left on the planet. Our northern lands, starkly beautiful, have been My hope is that passage of the bill through the House will enable scarred by the carelessness of the Liberals over the years. We do not Canada to do its fair share to protect this last common wilderness as want the world to do to the Antarctic what the Liberals have allowed a legacy for people in the future. to be done to our Arctic. Ï (1010) On behalf of the hon. member for Red Deer and all Canadian Mr. John Reynolds (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, Alliance colleagues, I declare our party's support for this legislation Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, as the former environment that protects the environment. It is unfortunate the Liberals have minister in the beautiful and bountiful British Columbia, I have long dragged their feet for so long that it is only now we come to vote on had a deep and abiding concern about the need to protect the pristine this very important bill. and unexploited regions on the planet. [Translation] I am here at the request of my hon. colleague, the member for Red Deer, to speak to Bill C-42, an act respecting the protection of the Mr. Bernard Bigras (Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, BQ): Mr. Antarctic environment. This legislation may actually be worthwhile Speaker, I am pleased to speak today on Bill C-42, a bill to ratify in that it is legislation that may actually do what it says it will do. the Protocol on EnvironmentalProtection to the Antarctic Treaty. That is rare: good legislation coming from a Liberal government. I wonder if this was one of the last items on the previous government's This protocol was signed by Canada in 1991 and one of its agenda. purposes was to protect the ecosystems in an extremely fragile area. One would think that by now the Liberals would have passed all Knowing the current state of Antarctica in particular, we know the legislation left over from the Mulroney regime and would have that it is fundamental that there be critical parameters for all activities come up with some of their own. I know that with their leadership that might take place in this very fragile area. woes going back to 1990 and that leadership race that never stopped running, they have been preoccupied, but surely they could have This protocol reinforces what the Treaty on Antarctica established found time in the last 10 years to come up with something original. If in 1961. This protocol also makes it possible to endorse and this is it, we should offer them mild congratulations. implement the principles established in 1961, after the signing of the Treaty of Antarctica. These principles include making Antarctica a Other environmental legislation they have introduced will do nature preserve to be protected. A further intent was to make nothing but harm. This bill appears to be fairly benign, unlike the Antarctica an area where no military activities could be carried out. species at risk legislation and the Kyoto legislation that will one day prove ruinous to Canada.