Mr. Marchand:

Mr. Speaker, by working with other government departments we give advice as to what we want by way of legislation. We do it that way. I think it is preferable to my taking over the whole regulatory function. For instance, the Department of Transport exercises control over aspects of pollution. In my opinion, it would be ridiculously cumbersome for me, as Minister of State for the Environment, to take over those kinds of powers. The regulatory functions relating to environmental matters, pollution control matters and transport should stay as they are.

I said I will make sure, as Minister of State for the Environment, that the kind of laws passed will be consistent with the objectives that we hold in the Department of the Environment.

Hon. Len Marchand (Minister of State (Environment)):

Mr. Speaker, I think I answered that question very clearly last Friday. The hon. member knows what I said, that I did not want to be looked upon as the pollution czar in which, for example, I took over the regulatory functions for pollution control and environmental management of the Department of Transport, where I took over the environmental management of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Resources, or the regulatory environmental functions of the Ministry of Indian Affairs, and so on.

I made it very clear that I was happy enough as Minister of the Environment and being able to advise the various departments of government on the kinds of laws that they should pass which would be consistent with the environmental standards we would all like to see for this country. I do not think that I should be running every department of government.

Hon. Len Marchand (Minister of State (Environment)):

Mr. Speaker, environmentally, all factors were evaluated. A number of other ports were evaluated as well. In the view of my officials who are on the scene, as well as in the view of Environment Nova Scotia, the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Transport, the route to Port Hawkesbury, with all of the conditions which the salvor would have to agree to, was the safest one to take.

It was the view of our officials that with the appropriate icebreaking equipment on hand, there really was no environmental risk or, at least, that the risk if any was really very minimal.

Mr. Marchand:

No, I did not say that, Mr. Speaker. There are certain acts of government that we administer directly, one of which, as the hon. member knows, is the Ocean Dumping Control Act. The Environmental Contaminants Act and the Canada Water Act are others. We have some of them; but in certain situations I am sure the hon. member does not want me to have all the authority relating to pollution under the Transport Act.

Mr. Marchand:

Mr. Speaker, if it will make the hon. member feel any better, now that the reorganization legislation is going through we in my department are examining all the legislative authority we have. At some point we will bring forward an omnibus bill which will address some of the deficiencies located in some of the legislation we have at our disposal.

I repeat that I do not want to put myself into the position of being a pollution czar, having all regulatory authority in this country to handle every situation. Certainly there must be regulatory authority left with the Department of Transport, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and other governments. We will have in my department the capacity to make sure that the environmental legislation brought forward through the various departments is adequate and meets the requirements we have as an environment department.