Thank you. Minister McLeod, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?
Debates of Aug. 16th, 2019
This is page numbers 6091 - 6124 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was environmental.
Topics
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister McLeod, please introduce your witnesses.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left, I have Dr. Erin Kelly, assistant deputy minister of Environment and Climate Change. To my right, I have Ms. Cherie Jarock, legislative counsel. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you. I will now open the floor to general comments on Bill 39. Mr. O'Reilly.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Mr. Chair. In my earlier remarks, I mentioned how, during the development of the bill, the public consultations that were held, there were a number of items that the departmental staff had raised, maybe even some expectations, dare I say, because those were brought to the attention of standing committee during the review of the bill. There were expectations raised around an environmental registry, that there would be methods to propose policies, programs, agreements, initiatives, maybe even an ability to comment on those, as well, when they became posted to the environmental registry.
Through the environmental registry, there was some discussion of the ability to make public comments on items that were posted there, including draft regulations. There was to be a definition of a right to healthy environment. Public trust was to be established and an obligation placed on GNWT. There was to be dispute resolution. Investigations would be carried out by inspectors.
That is not what people found in the bill when they started to review it. Can someone explain to me why those concepts, those items were dropped or not incorporated into the bill before us? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Dr. Kelly
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the Minister mentioned in his opening remarks, we used a partnership approach to drafting these bills. We worked with a technical working group and a stakeholder advisory group. While there were ideas that were presented in our legislative proposal, we worked on what ultimately ended up in the bill with those groups. Some of the things that the Member mentioned were not put in there for various reasons. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Is the department then contemplating bringing any of these items back into the Environmental Rights Act in the future? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Dr. Kelly
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We think that in the future, there would be an opportunity to have a look at the Environmental Rights Act specifically related to the registry that the Member brought up. We will be doing amendments to the Environmental Protection Act. That will be considered through that process. It is anticipated that there would be a registry through that bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6114
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Great. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am really pleased to hear that, that the idea of an environmental registry may still be alive. I mentioned that the current act started off as a private Member's bill back in 1990 or 1991. It has been around for 29 years. Requests have only happened four times under it and an investigation only once. When could we expect that the next review of this bill will take place? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe that the next Assembly decided that this was something that they wanted to have a look at this; maybe towards middle to the end of the Assembly, then it is a decision that they would make. As the Member pointed out before, this has been around since 1990, I think he said. Last time it may have been used was 1991, been used four times. I think we have strengthened the bill a bit. We don't know how many more times it may be used because of some of the additions. The next Assembly, when they come in, they can make a determination if they want to have another look at the Environmental Rights Act. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Minister's remarks. Of course, we can't bind a future Assembly to do anything. Given that this act has only really ever received comprehensive review in 29 years, hopefully, we can find other ways to ensure that we keep up to date and have best practices here with regard to environmental rights.
Along those lines, one of the recommendations from standing committee was that the department perhaps can and should find better ways to promote environmental rights with the use of the current act and the changes that we are going to bring forward for consideration shortly. How can the department better promote environmental rights and the use of the rights as defined through this legislation? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115
Dr. Kelly
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The department will use communications tools to alert the public to the amended act. There are multiple ways that we can do that through the web and other methods. We will take an approach that will get this information out to the public. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115
Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Mr. Chair. That information the department is looking to put on its website perhaps to better promote this, will that include maybe a plain-language version of how a request for environmental investigations can be made and other provisions in the bill? Is that the sort of thing that would get promoted in plain language? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Environmental Rights Act, there would be a lot of technical talk that is in there. I think we would owe it to the general public to prepare a plain-language summary as to some of the contents of the Environmental Rights Act. It would be very technical, so we would work to prepare a plain language summary. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 189-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 39: Environmental Rights Act - Coordination of Reporting, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6115