Speech (committee meeting)

{
    "time": "2018-03-29 08:35:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Terry Toner (Director, Environmental Services, Nova Scotia Power, Canadian Electricity Association)",
        "fr": "M. Terry Toner (directeur, Services de l'environnement, Nova Scotia Power, Association canadienne de l'\u00e9lectricit\u00e9)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"5342518\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Thank you, Francis.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342519\" data-originallang=\"en\">I'd like to begin by acknowledging that this bill contains a lot of progressive provisions. However, the following adjustments that we'll be talking about would further improve the intent of the <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">impact assessment act and the Canadian energy regulator act</a>. For the sake of brevity, I will be focusing my comments on the impact assessment portion. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342520\" data-originallang=\"en\">Speaking about clarity and predictability, <a data-HoCid=\"214310\" href=\"/politicians/catherine-mckenna/\" title=\"Catherine McKenna\">Minister McKenna</a> and <a data-HoCid=\"214325\" href=\"/politicians/jim-carr/\" title=\"Jim Carr\">Minister Carr</a> spoke to the need for project proponents to know what is required of them from the beginning of the regulatory process. We would suggest that some simple yet important modifications are necessary to meet this objective. Minister McKenna has made it clear that this act is focused on major projects. We support this, and we look forward to that being reflected in the project list.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342521\" data-originallang=\"en\">The project list, to be developed by regulation, must firmly establish the scope of application of the <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">impact assessment act</a>. The power of the minister to designate other projects for review must be circumscribed and used only in exceptional circumstances, based on the criteria used to develop the list in the first place. The consideration of alternatives to a project should be limited to ones that are technically and economically feasible. Transitional provisions should also make clear that existing projects already on a regulatory path are not brought under the ambit of the impact assessment act.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342522\" data-originallang=\"en\">In the quest for clarity and focus, we welcome strategic and regional assessments. It is our hope that these may ensure that individual project reviews are not burdened with analysis of impacts well beyond their scope. Too often now, project reviews are the place where we debate and litigate national policy in such domains as climate or indigenous reconciliation. A project review should be just that: a project review.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342523\" data-originallang=\"en\">Speaking about timelines, while the timelines in the bill provide some guidance for project proponents, the government's goal of process predictability is significantly diluted by provisions in the acts that permit limitless extensions and suspensions. Time is of critical value, and it can make the difference between a project built and a project abandoned. We accept that there must be some flexibility, but there must also be discipline and transparency in order to ensure investor confidence in Canadian infrastructure projects. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342524\" data-originallang=\"en\">Extensions decided by the Governor in Council should be published with reasons. There should be limits for the time taken by the minister to establish the terms of reference and the composition of a panel. Once a decision is made at the end of the process, there should be a firm timeline to issue the decision and no capacity for the Governor in Council to delay.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342525\" data-originallang=\"en\">We also propose, for your consideration, a provision that could quite importantly give proponents and all participants some confidence that closure may be achieved at the end of an authoritative process, a privative clause that would narrowly contain the scope for legal challenges. There must be proper deference by all parties, including the courts, to the judgment exercised by the authorities entrusted with the administration of this legislation. A project decision must not be the beginning of a new process played out in the courts. There are precedents for such clauses in other federal and provincial acts.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342526\" data-originallang=\"en\">Speaking about balance, it is critically important that the <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">impact assessment act</a> ensure balanced consideration of environmental and economic factors. The current draft is deficient in that it can easily be recalibrated as per the following recommendations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342527\" data-originallang=\"en\">The requirement to take into account whether the project hinders or contributes to the government's environmental obligations and commitments in respect of climate change is welcomed by our sector. We expect to make positive contributions to the pan-Canadian framework for clean growth and climate change, yet there must be as explicit a requirement to take into account economic benefits, which is currently implied only by reference to a broad concept of sustainability.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342528\" data-originallang=\"en\">In speaking of cost recovery and proponents' obligations, any regulatory process must be subject to cost discipline. Costs charged to proponents should not exceed amounts reasonably incurred by the crown. For predictability and good management, there should also be provided to the proponent at the beginning of the process an estimate of projected costs\u2014in effect, a budget.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342529\" data-originallang=\"en\">Our full submission to the committee next week will summarize the intent and wording of our proposed amendments. We commend them to your attention.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"5342518\" data-originallang=\"en\">Merci, Francis.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342519\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je tiens d'abord \u00e0 souligner que ce projet de loi contient des dispositions progressistes. Cependant les ajustements suivants am\u00e9lioreraient le sens de la <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">Loi sur l\u2019\u00e9valuation d'impact et de la Loi sur la R\u00e9gie canadienne de l'\u00e9nergie</a>. Pour \u00eatre bref, mes commentaires porteront principalement sur la partie relative \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9valuation d'impact. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342520\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Au sujet de la clart\u00e9 et de la pr\u00e9visibilit\u00e9, les ministres <a data-HoCid=\"214310\" href=\"/politicians/catherine-mckenna/\" title=\"Catherine McKenna\">McKenna</a> et <a data-HoCid=\"214325\" href=\"/politicians/jim-carr/\" title=\"Jim Carr\">Carr</a> ont \u00e9voqu\u00e9 la n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 pour les promoteurs de projets de savoir ce qui est attendu d'eux d\u00e8s le d\u00e9but de la proc\u00e9dure r\u00e9glementaire. Nous pensons que quelques modifications simples, mais importantes, sont n\u00e9cessaires pour atteindre cet objectif. La ministre McKenna a expliqu\u00e9 avec clart\u00e9 que cette loi est ax\u00e9e sur les grands projets. Nous sommes en faveur de cette mesure et esp\u00e9rons que cela transpara\u00eetra dans la liste de projets. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342521\" data-originallang=\"en\"> La liste de projets \u00e0 \u00e9laborer par r\u00e8glement doit \u00e9tablir fermement la port\u00e9e de l\u2019application de la <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">Loi sur l\u2019\u00e9valuation d'impact</a>. Le pouvoir du ministre de designer d'autres projets pour examen doit \u00eatre restreint et utilis\u00e9 uniquement dans des circonstances exceptionnelles, sur la base des crit\u00e8res utilis\u00e9s pour \u00e9laborer la liste au d\u00e9part. L'examen de solutions de rechange \u00e0 un projet doit se limiter \u00e0 ceux qui sont techniquement et \u00e9conomiquement faisables. Les dispositions transitoires doivent aussi \u00e9noncer clairement que les projets existants d\u00e9j\u00e0 engag\u00e9s dans une d\u00e9marche r\u00e9glementaire ne sont pas assujettis \u00e0 la Loi sur l\u2019\u00e9valuation d'impact.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342522\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans la recherche de clart\u00e9 et de mise au point, nous saluons les \u00e9valuations strat\u00e9giques et r\u00e9gionales. Nous esp\u00e9rons qu'elles pourront garantir que les examens de chaque projet ne seront pas \u00e9cras\u00e9s sous le poids de l\u2019analyse de l'impact bien au-del\u00e0 de leur port\u00e9e. Trop souvent l'examen des projets est l'endroit o\u00f9 la politique nationale est le sujet des d\u00e9bats et des litiges dans des domaines tels que le climat ou la r\u00e9conciliation avec les Autochtones. Un examen de projet ne devrait \u00eatre qu'un examen de projet. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342523\" data-originallang=\"en\">En ce qui concerne les d\u00e9lais, bien que ceux contenus dans le projet de loi orientent les promoteurs de projets, l'objectif du gouvernement en mati\u00e8re de pr\u00e9visibilit\u00e9 du processus est largement dilu\u00e9 par les dispositions des lois qui permettent des extensions et des suspensions sans limites. Le temps est une valeur essentielle qui peut faire la diff\u00e9rence entre un projet r\u00e9alis\u00e9 et un projet abandonn\u00e9. Nous reconnaissons qu'il faut faire preuve d'une certaine souplesse, mais \u00e9galement de discipline et de transparence afin de renforcer la confiance des investisseurs dans les projets d'infrastructure canadiens.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342524\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les prolongations d\u00e9cid\u00e9es par le gouverneur en conseil devraient \u00eatre publi\u00e9es, avec leurs motifs. Le temps pris par le ministre pour \u00e9tablir le mandat et la composition d'un comit\u00e9 devrait \u00eatre limit\u00e9. D\u00e8s qu'une d\u00e9cision est prise \u00e0 la fin du processus, il devrait y avoir un d\u00e9lai ferme pour l'\u00e9mettre, sans possibilit\u00e9 pour le gouverneur en conseil de la retarder. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342525\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous souhaitons \u00e9galement porter \u00e0 votre attention une disposition, plut\u00f4t importante, qui pourrait donner aux promoteurs et \u00e0 tous les participants l\u2019assurance que la conclusion peut \u00eatre atteinte \u00e0 la fin d'un processus officiel, une clause privative qui limiterait strictement la port\u00e9e des contestations judiciaires. II doit y avoir un certain respect, de la part de toutes les parties, y compris des tribunaux, \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9gard du jugement exerc\u00e9 par les organismes charg\u00e9s de l'application de cette loi. La d\u00e9cision relative \u00e0 un projet ne doit pas \u00eatre le d\u00e9but d'un nouveau processus devant les tribunaux. II existe des pr\u00e9c\u00e9dents de ces clauses dans d'autres lois f\u00e9d\u00e9rales et provinciales. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342526\" data-originallang=\"en\">En ce qui concerne l\u2019\u00e9quilibre. II est extr\u00eamement important que la <a data-HoCid=\"9630600\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-69/\" title=\"An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">Loi sur l\u2019\u00e9valuation d'impact</a> garantisse une prise en compte \u00e9quitable des facteurs environnementaux et \u00e9conomiques. L'\u00e9bauche actuelle pr\u00e9sente des lacunes \u00e0 ce sujet, mais elle peut \u00eatre facilement r\u00e9\u00e9quilibr\u00e9e selon les recommandations qui suivent. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342527\" data-originallang=\"en\">L'exigence de tenir compte du fait que le projet emp\u00eache ou favorise les obligations environnementales et les engagements du gouvernement en mati\u00e8re de lutte contre les changements climatiques est accueillie favorablement par notre secteur. Nous esp\u00e9rons contribuer de mani\u00e8re positive au Cadre pancanadien sur la croissance propre et les changements climatiques. Mais, il doit y avoir une exigence tout aussi explicite de tenir compte des avantages \u00e9conomiques, qui n\u2019est actuellement implicite que par r\u00e9f\u00e9rence \u00e0 un vaste concept de durabilit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342528\" data-originallang=\"en\">En ce qui concerne le recouvrement des co\u00fbts et les obligations des promoteurs, tout processus r\u00e9glementaire doit \u00eatre soumis \u00e0 la discipline en mati\u00e8re de co\u00fbts. Les co\u00fbts imput\u00e9s aux promoteurs ne doivent pas d\u00e9passer les montants raisonnablement engag\u00e9s par la Couronne. Aux fins de pr\u00e9visibilit\u00e9 et de bonne gestion, une estimation des co\u00fbts pr\u00e9vus doit \u00eatre \u00e9galement fournie au promoteur au d\u00e9but du processus, un budget en somme. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5342529\" data-originallang=\"en\">Notre pr\u00e9sentation compl\u00e8te au Comit\u00e9 la semaine prochaine r\u00e9sumera l\u2019intention et la teneur des modifications propos\u00e9es. Nous les recommandons \u00e0 votre attention.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/committees/environment/42-1/102/terry-toner-1/",
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    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "10042188",
    "document_url": "/committees/environment/42-1/102/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Fenvironment%2F42-1%2F102%2F"
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