Committee members: Appearance before the Standing Committee – December 14, 2023

Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development October 2023

Francis Scarpaleggia (Chair)

Political Affiliation: Liberal
Constituency: Lac-Saint-Louis
Province / Territory: Quebec
Preferred Language: English

First elected to the House of Commons in 2004, Francis Scarpaleggia was re-elected to Parliament in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

Francis has made the protection of Canada’s freshwater a personal priority. With this goal in mind, he has tabled several water-related bills and motions in the House of Commons. Namely, he has presented motions to establish a national water strategy as well as to create a Council of the St. Lawrence to better protect this vital waterway. In terms of legislation, he has introduced bills to ban bulk-water exports, prohibit the dumping of toxic mining waste into water bodies, and improve the process of developing Canada’s drinking-water guidelines. He also initiated an in-depth study by the House of Commons environment committee into the impact of the oil sands on Canada’s water resources and wrote The Hidden Dimension: Water and the Oil Sands, the Liberal report from the study.

Since first being elected, Francis has served on the following House of Commons committees: Public Safety and National Security (Vice Chair), Environment and Sustainable Development (Vice Chair), Transport, Canadian Heritage, and Government Operations and Estimates. He was also Chair of the House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform.

Francis was a founding member of the all-party Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care. In this capacity, he organized and chaired hearings in Montreal in the fall of 2010 to hear testimony for the Committee’s report, entitled Not to be Forgotten: Care of Vulnerable Canadians.

Before entering elected politics, Francis served as senior political attaché to his predecessor, Clifford Lincoln, for over a decade. Prior to that, he taught business administration at Montreal’s Dawson College. His time as an educator was preceded by several years working in the private sector, including as a corporate financial analyst.

Francis did his undergraduate work in economics at McGill University and earned a master’s degree in economics from Columbia University, in New York. He later obtained an MBA from Concordia University.‎

Francis lives with his wife and two children in Kirkland.

Dan Mazier (Vice-Chair)

Political Affiliation: Conservative
Constituency: Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa
Province / Territory: Manitoba
Preferred Language: English

In 2018 Mazier stepped down as President of Manitoba’s largest general farm organization, Keystone Agricultural Produces (KAP), to seek the federal nomination for the Conservative Party of Canada in the constituency of Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa. He successfully became the party’s candidate and went on to win a seat in the House of Commons in the 2019 election with the largest number of votes in the constituency’s history.

Mazier’s victory was attributed to his focus on rural Canada and focusing on policies that impacted rural Canadians most. This included his focus on improving rural connectivity with better internet and cell phone service and supporting seniors and families living on fixed-incomes.

43rd Parliament

After being sworn in to office, Mazier was named as the Deputy Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change by then leader, Andrew Scheer. Mazier focused on bringing a rural lens to environmental policy and strongly opposed a one-size-fits-all approach that he claimed disproportionally impacted rural Canadians. This included his strong opposition to Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax and his support for environmental policies that empowered farmers, ranchers, and landowners to participate in ecological goods and services programs.

In 2020, Mazier was appointed to sit on the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans by newly elected leader, Erin O’Toole.

Monique Pauzé (Vice-Chair)

Political Affiliation: Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Repentigny
Province / Territory: Quebec
Preferred Language: French

Bloc Québécois critic for Environment and Climate Change Canada

Monique Pauzé knew very early in her life that she wanted to fight against social inequities and defend the interests of Quebec, unfinished battles for which she does not give up. As a young woman, the Bloc Québécois MNA taught elementary school for 20 years where she worked to raise awareness of environmental protection, a cause she still fights for today. From 1995 to 2013, Monique Pauzé acquired extensive experience in the union milieu where she was coordinator of socio-political action and president of the Syndicat de Champlain before becoming a commissioner for the Special Commission on Union Renewal at the CSQ. In addition to writing and presenting the union’s brief to the Estates General on Education and training delegates on the new Public Education Act, she also had the mandate to sensitize union members on neo-liberalism and its impact on education.

As a feminist, she fought for pay equity and succeeded in having the right of women to equal pay for equal work recognized. Involved in the environmental community, she was vice-president of the Coalition Eau Secours from 2013 to 2015 and more recently, she participated in the États généraux sur la souveraineté as a commissioner for the "economy and sovereignty" project.

A committed woman  – For her, serving the citizens of her riding is a natural extension of her past commitments. Just after taking office, she and her colleagues have succeeded in advancing several issues in Ottawa and will continue to do so until Quebec becomes independent. We can therefore conclude that today, with the same fervor as in her early days of activism, MP Monique Pauzé is pursuing the same objectives and working to improve the lot of her fellow citizens.

Adam Van Koverden – Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Political Affiliation: Liberal
Constituency: Milton
Province / Territory: Ontario
Preferred Language: English

Adam van Koeverden was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Milton in 2019.

Mr. van Koeverden previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Sport and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport).

Mr. van Koeverden is a dedicated community leader and one of Canada’s most accomplished athletes. He has represented Canada at four Summer Olympic Games, winning a gold, two silvers, and a bronze medal. He served as Canada’s flag bearer in Athens and Beijing, and won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s top athlete in 2004.

A first-generation Canadian, Mr. van Koeverden grew up at Chautauqua Co-op in Oakville with his younger brother and mother. He joined the Burloak Canoe Club as a teenager and rapidly became one of Canada’s premier athletes. In addition to being a world, Olympic, and Canadian champion, he has volunteered extensively for organizations like Right to Play, WaterAid, Special Olympics Canada, and the David Suzuki Foundation. Along with his father, Mr. van Koeverden is also a strong advocate for Parkinson Canada.

Before entering politics, Mr. van Koeverden worked as a managing consultant with Deloitte, and as a broadcaster, writer, and producer with CBC Sports. He also served as Chair of the Canadian Olympic Athletes’ Commission and was a member of the Government of Canada Working Group on Gender Equity in Sport, promoting safe sport and addressing gender-based violence. He is a leading public speaker who has spoken to tens of thousands of students at schools in the Halton region and across Canada.

Mr. van Koeverden graduated as valedictorian with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from McMaster University. He lives in Milton with his dog, Cairo.

Lloyd Longfield

Political Affiliation: Liberal
Constituency: Guelph
Province / Territory: Ontario
Preferred Language: English / French

In October 2015, Lloyd was elected to Parliament as the Liberal Party of Canada candidate for Guelph, Ontario. Lloyd has since served as a member of the Standing Committee for Industry, Science and Technology, as a member of the Standing Committee for Agriculture and Agri-Food, as Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and as a member of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

In addition to his committee roles, Lloyd has served as Chair of the Parliamentary Health Research Caucus, he has chaired the Innovation Caucus, Co-Chaired the Automotive Caucus and acted as Secretary of the Ontario Caucus. He has also been an active member in the Social Innovation caucus, the Mental Health Caucus as well as several Intergovernmental Parliamentary groups with countries such as India, Italy, and organizations like NATO.

Lloyd is focused on collaborating locally on priorities such as the environment, housing, mental health, Indigenous reconciliation, early learning, childcare, entrepreneurship and economic development.

Lloyd has been serving Guelph for 30 years in community benefit organizations including 7 years as the President of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. This followed a successful career as a Mechanical Engineering Technologist, working in manufacturing ranging from his own business start-up to working with businesses across Canada to improve their productivity and competitiveness through automation process improvement, and innovation.

Lloyd has been happily married to his high school sweetheart Barb since 1978 and together they have 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren.

Leah Taylor Roy

Political Affiliation: Liberal
Constituency: Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill
Province / Territory: Ontario
Preferred Language: English

Leah Taylor Roy is a passionate community leader who has dedicated her life to serving others, with the proven experience needed to make her an effective and dynamic Member of Parliament for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill.

A mother of six, Leah has deep roots in York Region where she lives with her husband Peter. A graduate of University of Toronto with a degree in Commerce, Leah then attended Harvard University where she received a Masters in Public Policy with a focus on International Finance and Development.

Leah’s passion for public policy and business aligned while working at the World Bank, followed by a career with the highly-regarded management consulting firm McKinsey and Company, working to support Canadian businesses. Leah then served as Executive Vice President for a U.S.-based co-generation company.

She is proud to have established a not-for-profit that focused on practical solutions to support small businesses in developing countries, and she is an active supporter of numerous local charities including CHATS, Habitat for Humanity, CMHA, Inn from the Cold, Heart and Stroke and Voices of Joy — a local choir for people of all abilities. She has also worked with adults with special needs and their families and understands the challenges faced by these members of our communities.

Leah plans to bring her education, business background, and volunteer experience to support families across York Region and Canada. She understands that now is a critical juncture to grow an economy that works for everyone, take action on climate change, and build a fairer and more equal future for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill residents and all Canadians.

Sophie Chatel

Political Affiliation: Liberal
Constituency: Pontiac
Province / Territory: Quebec
Preferred Language: French / English

A long-time public servant, eight-time marathon runner, and international tax expert, Sophie Chatel was born in Montreal, lived in different areas of Québec, and arrived in Pontiac with her family in 2002. After the September 2021 election, Pontiac voted in Sophie as the first female representative for her riding.

Sophie attended Law School at the University of Montreal from 1991-1994 and received a Master’s degree in tax from the University of Sherbrooke in 1997. In addition to passing the bar, Sophie became a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in 2000. After working as a tax advisor for several accounting and law firms throughout Quebec, Sophie joined the Canadian Revenue Agency’s Ruling Directorate in 2002. Settling in the Limbour neighborhood, Sophie also discovered the natural beauty and cultural diversity of her riding. An avid hiker, runner, skier and cycler, Sophie conquered every trail of Gatineau Park, while seasonal scout camps brought her from Low to Otter Lake and also to Fort Coulonge and Sheenboro. Inside the Scout movement, Sophie developed a passion for storytelling, penning fantastic legends that reportedly still put goosebumps on the skins of now grown men and women.

In the adult world of public service, Sophie shuffled between increasingly senior positions in the Legislative Policy and Appeals Branch, before a long tenure at the Department of Finance where she served as senior treaty negotiator. In 2017, Sophie moved to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris where she head the Tax Treaty Unit and led a working group made up of 136 countries. Sophie collaborated with international delegates, leading academics, economists and tax officials from various international organizations including the UN, OECD, World Bank and IMF, and tax directors of multinational companies. One thorny challenge of the 2017-2021 era was adapting the international framework for taxing the digital giants.

In May 2021, Sophie briefly returned to the Department of Finance to lead the drafting of the Canadian Digital Services Tax Act. On August 9, 2021 Sophie left the public service to run for Parliament. Although Sophie left many colleagues and friends behind, she felt called to join in to tackle the challenge of our generation: climate change.

In rolling up her sleeves to represent the various communities of Pontiac, Sophie will put the mottos of the scout movement and the OECD to work: “toujours prêt!” and “better policies for better lives”.

Sophie Chatel and her husband Tom are the proud parents of twin sons: Evan and Vincent.

Shafqat Ali

Political Affiliation: Liberal
Constituency: Brampton Centre
Province / Territory: Ontario
Preferred Language: English

Shafqat Ali is a triumphant entrepreneur and a proud husband and father of three. From humble beginnings to an inspiring immigrant success story, he personally understands what it means to struggle, fight and succeed. As the Liberal Representative for Brampton Centre, Shafqat is committed to being a prominent voice for our community in the House of Commons and will strive diligently to ensure you have a brighter Canadian future.

He is a passionate community leader who firmly believes that all Canadians should actively participate in the democratic process, in order to improve their lives as well as the lives of fellow Canadians. In addition, Shafqat also possesses a strong dedication towards community service, as he has demonstrated throughout his 13 years of residing and volunteering in our community as a youth coordinator and youth mentor. His contributions have included: forming a youth sports club; organizing festivals, fundraisers for local hospitals, food banks, and various other community organizations. Shafqat has also led many other community initiatives, such as successfully advocating for the cricket pitch on White Clover Way, in Mississauga.

Now as the Liberal representative for Brampton Centre, he is committed to bringing that same passion, dedication and energy to being your voice in the nation’s capital, Ottawa. Shafqat believe’s he can appropriately represent our community as a Member of Parliament because he has firsthand experience with the unexpected difficulties life can throw your way. When Shafqat was 10 years old, he tragically lost his father, who was his mentor, role model and best friend. His mother then raised him on her own, enduring the hardships of being a single parent. This led Shafqat to develop a very thick-skin, a high level of resilience, as well as a passion for learning and growing. He used these traits to help him develop and mature, and eventually move to Canada, which he did with only a small suitcase and a very big dream: to succeed in this beautiful land of opportunity and community.

Shafqat recognizes the tremendous opportunities that Canada provides, but can also identify and empathize for the hardships of a struggling immigrant, or a single mother, or a university student unable to pay their tuition fees. It is due to his personal experiences and hardships, continuous community involvement, and his leadership qualities that Shafqat will effectively make a difference in our community. As your Member of Parliament, Shafqat will passionately focus on moving Brampton Centre forward, towards a brighter Canadian future.

Gérard Deltell

Political Affiliation: Conservative
Constituency: Louis-Saint-Laurent
Province / Territory: Quebec
Preferred Language: French

Gérard Deltellhas served as the Member of Parliament for Louis-Saint-Laurent since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, Deltell was Opposition House Leader from 2020 to 2022 under Erin O’Toole and held a number of opposition critic positions. Prior to entering federal politics, he represented Chauveau in the National Assembly of Quebec from 2008 to 2015 and was the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec (ADQ) from 2009 until it merged with the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in 2012. He served as the CAQ’s house leader until 2014.

Deltell was born and raised in Quebec City. He held party membership in the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the 1980s.

Deltell studied social science at Cégep de Sainte-Foy, graduating in 1984. He majored in history at Université Laval and graduated in 1989. He also received training as an announcer at the Collège des annonceurs radio télévision in 1982 and at École de radio et de télévision Promédia in 1993. He received a pilot’s license for ultralight aircraft in 2005.

Before he entered politics, Deltell worked as a TV correspondent with TQS. He also worked for TVA and Radio-Canada stations in Quebec City, as well as the CIRO-FM radio station as a radio show host. Overall, he worked as a journalist for a total of over 20 years.

Following much speculation, Deltell announced on April 7, 2015, that he would be running for the Conservative Party of Canada in the riding of Louis-Saint-Laurent in the upcoming federal election. His resignation as MNA for Chauveau took effect the same day. Deltell was elected MP on October 19, 2015. The Conservative Party saw a resurgence in support in the Quebec City region with Deltell receiving credit for the party’s increased support.

Michael Kram

Political Affiliation: Conservative
Constituency: Regina—Wascana
Province / Territory: Saskatchewan
Preferred Language: English

Michael Kram is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Regina-Wascana, a position which he has held since the general election of October 21st, 2019. Michael sits on the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.

Michael was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. His parents are both retired teachers and his grandparents were farmers. He graduated from Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School in Regina.

Michael has a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Economics. Both degrees are from the University of Regina. He also studied Economics at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Before being elected to Parliament, Michael worked in the information technology sector. He worked in the private sector in Calgary in the late 1990’s and for the Department of National Defence in Ottawa in the early 2000’s. Michael worked for many years as a programmer/analyst with a Regina-based information technology consulting firm. During this time, he developed software solutions for a mix of private-sector and government entities.

Michael Kram grew up and still resides in south Regina. He has been an active member of St. Martin de Porres Church in Whitmore Park for many years. In his spare time he enjoys jogging, movies, and watching football.

Branden Leslie

Political Affiliation: Conservative
Constituency: Portage—Lisgar
Province / Territory: Manitoba
Preferred Language: English

Branden Leslie MP is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a by-election on 19 June 2023. Previously, he was a former Conservative political staffer and a policy and government relations manager with Grain Growers Canada.

Leslie previously served as former MP Candice Bergen’s campaign manager, was a former political staffer for the Conservatives and was a policy and government relations manager with Grain Growers Canada.

On January 25, 2023, Leslie announced that he was running for the Conservatives nomination in Portage-Lisgar to succeed Bergen, the party’s former interim leader. On April 28, Leslie was selected by members to become the party candidate defeating prominent candidates such as former Morden-Winkler MLA and former Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba cabinet minister Cameron Friesen and Lawrence Toet, the former MP for Elmwood—Transcona.

Laurel Collins

Political Affiliation: NDP
Constituency: Victoria
Province / Territory: British Columbia
Preferred Language: English

NDP critic for Environment and Climate Change Canada

Laurel was a community organizer and climate activist. She was an instructor at the University of Victoria and a city councillor prior to being elected MP for Victoria in 2019.

Laurel Collins was born in Kispiox, Northern B.C., in Gixtzan Territory. Her parents split up when she was a baby, and she moved around a lot  – the Gulf Islands, Alert Bay, Port Hardy, out to New Brunswick and then back to Vancouver Island.

Laurel went on to earn a Bachelor’s, Masters, and start a PhD. Her work was dedicated to trying to solve the unfairness she saw in the world: poverty, inequality, and conflict.

She volunteered with Education and Literacy Programs for children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. She researched climate migration in her Master’s program and then worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Northern Uganda helping people displaced by civil war rebuild their lives.

Laurel worked at Victoria Women in Need to support women who have experienced violence and abuse, joined grassroots environmental movements, co-founded Divest Victoria, and fought along the Shawinigan Lake community to protect their watershed.

Laurel poured her time and energy into organizing and fighting for climate action and environmental protection. She taught courses at the University of Victoria in Social Justice, Sociology, and Social Inequality, and explored the connection between the climate crisis and inequality.

Laurel understands that climate change is the biggest social justice issue of our time. Rising ocean levels, raging forest fires, and melting ice caps will hurt vulnerable people the most. Motivated to tackle climate change, Laurel stepped up and took action. She ran for City Council as a member of Together Victoria, and she won.

She also sits on the CRD Regional Water Supply Commission, helping protect our region’s watersheds and ecosystems, and is a director on the board of the Green Municipal Fund, a federal body that funds innovative projects that dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in communities across Canada.