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ENVI Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 60
Thursday, April 27, 2023, 3:34 p.m. to 5:28 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Francis Scarpaleggia, Chair (Liberal)

Library of Parliament
• Alison Clegg, Analyst
• Robert Mason, Analyst
The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

The committee resumed consideration of the motion of Michael V. McLeod, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), and following the toxic leak of tailing ponds and Imperial Oil and Alberta Energy Regulator’s failure to provide appropriate answers to this Committee, the lack of action taken and for putting the lives, health and safety of Indigenous communities at risk. That the committee:

  1. Invite the CEO of Imperial Oil and the Alberta Energy Regulator for a two-hour meeting in October 2023 and provide this Committee with updates on what steps they took since April 2023 to address the issues resulting from the tailing ponds leak never happens again;
  2. That during these meetings Imperial Oil and Alberta Energy Regulator provide the committee with the documents that support the actions they took; and
  3. That these meetings take place in October 2023, that these meetings be televised, and that the evidence gathered during these meetings be taken into consideration during the study of Freshwater.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Alexandre Boulerice moved, — That the motion be amended by adding after the words “Invite the CEO of Imperial Oil, Alberta Energy Regulator,” the following: “the Government of Alberta’s Environment Minister and the Government of Canada’s Environment Minister”.

At 4:04 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:08 p.m., the sitting resumed.

The question was put on the amendment of Alexandre Boulerice and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexandre Boulerice, Monique Pauzé — 2;

NAYS: Gérard Deltell, Terry Duguid, Damien C. Kurek, Mike Lake, Lloyd Longfield, Greg McLean, Michael V. McLeod, Leah Taylor Roy, Patrick Weiler — 9.

The debate on the motion of Michael V. McLeod continued

Amendment

Mike Lake moved, — That the motion be amended by:

  1. deleting the words “and following the toxic leak of tailing ponds and Imperial Oil and Alberta Energy Regulator’s failure to provide appropriate answers to this Committee, the lack of action taken and for putting the lives, health and safety of Indigenous communities at risk. That”;
  2. replacing the word “leak” with the words “seepage and spill”; and
  3. deleting the words “That these meetings take place in October 2023”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Mike Lake and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Alexandre Boulerice, Gérard Deltell, Terry Duguid, Damien C. Kurek, Mike Lake, Lloyd Longfield, Greg McLean, Michael V. McLeod, Monique Pauzé, Leah Taylor Roy, Patrick Weiler — 11;

NAYS: — 0.

The debate on the motion, as amended, continued.

At 4:15 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:20 p.m., the sitting resumed.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee:

  1. Invite the CEO of Imperial Oil and the Alberta Energy Regulator for a two-hour meeting in October 2023 to provide this committee with updates on what steps they took since April 2023 to address the issues resulting from the Kearl tailings pond seepage and spill;
  2. That during these meetings Imperial Oil Limited and the Alberta Energy Regulator provide the committee with the documents that support the actions they took; and
  3. That these meetings be televised, and that the evidence gathered during these meetings be taken into consideration during the study of freshwater.

Motion

Lloyd Longfield moved, — That the committee book travel to Fort McMurray to witness the environmental damage caused by the Kearl tailings pond leak, that the committee and its analysts use the evidence gathered on this expedition to be part of the study on fresh water, and any future study on the tailings ponds leaks, that the clerk of the committee be empowered to draft a travel budget and present it to committee, and that the committee review this travel budget no later than Monday, May 15, 2023.

Debate arose thereon.

At 4:38 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:44 p.m., the sitting resumed.

The debate on the motion of Lloyd Longfield continued.

By unanimous consent, the motion was withdrawn.

At 4:48 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:52 p.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Thursday, February 3, 2022, the committee resumed its study of fossil fuel subsidies.

The committee resumed consideration of a draft report.

At 5:28 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Natalie Jeanneault
Clerk of the committee