Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources

Issue 23 - Evidence - February 5, 2015

OTTAWA, Thursday, February 5, 2015

The Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, to which was referred Bill C- 22, An Act respecting Canada's offshore oil and gas operations, enacting the Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act, repealing the Nuclear Liability Act and making consequential amendments to other acts, met this day at 9:03 a.m. to give clause-by-clause consideration to the bill.

Senator Richard Neufeld (Chair) in the chair.

[English]

The Chair: Welcome to this meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources. My name is Richard Neufeld. I represent the province of British Columbia in the Senate and I'm chair of this committee.

I would like to welcome honourable senators and any members of the public with us in the room.

I would like now to introduce the deputy chair of this committee, Senator Paul Massicotte, from Quebec. I now ask senators around the table to introduce themselves.

Senator Mitchell: Grant Mitchell, Alberta.

[Translation]

Senator Ringuette: My name is Pierrette Ringuette. I am a senator from New Brunswick.

Senator Rivard: I am Michel Rivard, a senator from Quebec.

[English]

Senator Black: Doug Black, Alberta.

[Translation]

Senator Seidman: I am Judith Seidman, a senator from Montreal West.

Senator Boisvenu: I am Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, a senator from Quebec.

[English]

Senator MacDonald: Michael MacDonald, Nova Scotia.

The Chair: I'd also like to introduce our staff, beginning with the clerk, Lynn Gordon, and our two Library of Parliament analysts, Sam Banks and Mark LeBlanc.

Today we are continuing our examination of Bill C-22, the energy and safety and security act, which was read a first time in the Senate on November 18, 2014.

Honourable senators, as you know, we have heard from a variety of witnesses about this proposed legislation and have also received a number of written submissions. We are now at a stage where we will begin going through the bill, clause by clause.

Before we do this, I would like to remind all members around the table that if at any point a senator is not clear where we are in the process, please ask for clarification. As chair, I will do my utmost to ensure that all senators wishing to speak have the opportunity to do so. For this, however, I will depend on your cooperation. I will ask that you keep your remarks to the point and as brief as possible.

Finally, I wish to remind honourable senators that if there is ever any uncertainty as to the result of a voice vote or a show of hands, the cleanest route is to request a roll call vote, which provides clear results.

Before I start, I would ask if there are any questions around the table. If there are none, then I believe we can proceed.

Is it agreed that the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-22, the energy safety and security act?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the title stand postponed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 1, which contains the short title, stand postponed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: In the interests of time, I ask members around the table if they are agreeable to grouping the clauses of the bill according to the parts of the bill. If so, I will carefully announce which groupings we are considering, from which clause to clause. Agreed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall Part 1 of the bill, which deals with modernizing Canada's offshore oil and gas operations regime, clauses 2 to 119, pages 1 to 133 of the bill, carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall Part 2 of the bill, which deals with the Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act, clauses 120 to 129, pages 133 to 163 of the bill, carry?

Some Hon. Senators: Agreed.

Some Hon. Senators: On division.

The Chair: On division.

Shall Schedules 1 to 4 carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall clause 1, which contains the short title, carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the title carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Shall the bill carry?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Thank you.

Is it agreed that I report the bill to the Senate?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Thank you.

(The committee adjourned.)