Discussion · Government Orders
Alexis Deschênes Bloc Québécois
“The government claims this bill does not lower environmental standards, but it does. It removes rules about fishing and dumping waste at sea in certain areas. About 20 laws and rules will no longer apply in regions that the cabinet will pick later. I want the member to explain how the government can say standards are being kept.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his contribution. I get the impression that they are trying to sell us apple pie, but that is not what is on offer in Bill C-39. The government tells us that the bill does not lower standards, but that is not what Bill C-39 says. Bill C-39 says a lot of things, but among other things, it states that regions of national interest are now being established and that, within these regions of national interest, projects will no longer need to get approvals in order to comply with the Fisheries Act or with the Canadian Environmental Protection Act provisions governing the disposal of waste at sea. Several protections are being set aside. I need to hear my colleague’s opinion because I do not understand how the government can tell us that it is maintaining environmental standards when some 20 regulations and laws will no longer apply in regions that have not yet been defined and that will be defined by cabinet following the bill’s predictable and unfortunate passage.”
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his contribution. I get the impression that they are trying to sell us apple pie, but that is not what is on offer in Bill C-39. The government tells us that the bill does not lower standards, but that is not what Bill C-39 says. Bill C-39 says a lot of things, but among other things, it states that regions of national interest are now being established and that, within these regions of national interest, projects will no longer need to get approvals in order to comply with the Fisheries Act or with the Canadian Environmental Protection Act provisions governing the disposal of waste at sea. Several protections are being set aside. I need to hear my colleague’s opinion because I do not understand how the government can tell us that it is maintaining environmental standards when some 20 regulations and laws will no longer apply in regions that have not yet been defined and that will be defined by cabinet following the bill’s predictable and unfortunate passage.