Parliamentary Speeches
574 speeches by Jonathan Wilkinson — Page 12 of 12
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this is now the fifth day of debate on this bill since November. We have discussed this bill at length since it was introduced, and we are very eager to move on to the next stage of debate. All parties, including the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and even the Conservatives, though they backtracked last week, said they wanted to send this bill to committee.
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Mr. Speaker, certainly, we have developed a comprehensive climate plan that enables Canada to move forward with the rest of the international community to meet our international obligations. A credible climate plan requires increased ambition. The parties to Paris agreed that all would need to do more and increase ambition overtime. Countries around the world are doing that, and Canada will be pla…
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Mr. Speaker, again, as this project relates to climate change, it is important that the Conservative Party can answer some questions with respect to the pamphlet that it released this morning. It is a pamphlet, not a plan. It has more holes in it than we could drive a truck through. Certainly the focus is on a number of things, including putting a tax on carbon, which in and of itself would be an …
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Mr. Speaker, as this relates to climate change, certainly Canadians have been waiting for a very long time to see a serious climate plan from the Conservative Party of Canada. This morning after reading through the Conservative Party's 15-page pamphlet, Canadians are still waiting. No mention of science, no numbers about how much these policies will cost consumers, no incentives to help Canadians …
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-28, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, to make related amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and to repeal the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Virtual Elimination Act. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his question. We have kept our promise to strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and implement measures that protect Canadians from toxic substances. Our bill will help us better protect the environment, recognize the right to a healthy environment, and much more. Together, we will make Canada healthier for our families and com…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians need a stronger environmental protection law that confronts 21st century issues with 21st century science. Every Canadian should be able to live their lives free from harmful effects of chemicals. Today we tabled Bill C-28, the strengthening environmental protection for a healthier Canada act. Our proposal to strengthen CEPA will help us to better protect the environment, re…
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Mr. Speaker, again, I am very pleased to speak to the climate issue on a day when the Supreme Court reaffirmed the federal government's ability to ensure that we are pricing pollution in every part of this country. It is an important component of a comprehensive climate plan that is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building an economy that will drive prosperity in what will become …
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Mr. Speaker, that is an important question. Today, the Supreme Court reaffirmed what Canadians have known along: Climate change is real, and putting a price on pollution is of concern to Canada as a whole. Only Conservative politicians are disputing the reality and urgency of climate change. Today's historic decision is a win for the millions of Canadians who believe we must build a prosperous eco…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question on such an important day when the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of Canada's approach to pricing carbon pollution, because carbon pollution should not be free anywhere in this country. Canada brought forward a strengthened climate plan in December. It is one of the most detailed and comprehensive climate plans anywhere in the world. It provide…
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Mr. Speaker, climate change is a threat to our health, our way of life and our planet, and that is why our government is implementing climate measures right now. We are keeping the promise we made to Canadians to present an improved climate plan that will meet our objective of creating thousands of jobs across the country and ensuring that we exceed the Paris target for 2030 and also lay the found…
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Mr. Speaker, before we respond to this important issue, I must underscore a matter of deep concern in this House. This past weekend, the deputy leader opposite's party once again rejected science and reaffirmed its disbelief in the reality of climate change. I know it is discouraging to many Canadians that a major political party in this country will not acknowledge this basic scientific fact and …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Bourassa for his question. Climate change is real. We are experiencing extreme weather events such as historic flooding and forest fires in Quebec. However, the Conservatives have decided to put their heads in the sand and ignore the reality we are all living. It is clear that the Conservative Party is taking a step in the wrong direction and, unfo…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Guelph for his tireless work on this subject. On this side of the aisle, the debate truly is settled. Climate change is real. We stand with science and the scientific community on this important matter. I, too, was deeply disappointed when I heard the news this weekend that the Conservative Party was continuing to reject the reality of climate chan…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member indicated, we are committed to planting two billion trees and to restoring wetlands and grasslands as key elements of our focus on nature-based climate solutions. These investments will also be very important in addressing biodiversity concerns. The government has also committed to a pathway to achieving 30% protection of terrestrial areas by 2030. There is certainly a k…
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Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague is aware, the price on pollution is part of a comprehensive approach to addressing the climate challenge and ensuring that we are creating a world that will be a livable one for our children and grandchildren while concurrently seizing the economic opportunities that are offered through a low-carbon universe. With respect to the agricultural community, we have exe…
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Mr. Speaker, in November our government introduced a climate plan that demonstrates how Canada will exceed its Paris Agreement targets and will create jobs and economic prosperity for the future. As part of this, our government is committed to phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, and we are on track to do so. We were pleased to see the Americans follow our lead in committing to p…
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Mr. Speaker, the health of our marine areas and their biodiversity is a priority for our government. That is why we committed to protecting 25% of Canada's oceans by 2025 and joined the Global Ocean Alliance. Our government respects Quebec's moratorium in the St. Lawrence and on new offshore oil and gas projects in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The permit in question was issued in the 1990s by the Gov…
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Mr. Speaker, addressing and fighting climate change should not be a partisan issue. Now more than ever, I think we all need to work together to bring together the best ideas to fight climate change. Our plan to put a price on pollution will ensure that there is certainty for businesses and individuals going forward and that we reduce emissions in a manner that is both efficient and affordable. We …
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Mr. Speaker, certainly while COVID is the challenge of our lifetime, at the present time we cannot forget that climate change is an impending existential threat to humanity. Putting a price on carbon pollution is part of our critical plan to attack climate change and reduce emissions. We do so in a manner that ensures affordability, and if the hon. member would look at the plan and those who actua…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question, but the things she said are completely false. As I said, our government said that the permit in question was issued in the 1990s by the Government of Quebec and that this matter is under provincial jurisdiction. Our government respects moratoriums imposed by the provinces and Quebec on new offshore oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of St. Lawrenc…
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Mr. Speaker, I would correct the record. We have been working very actively with the Government of Manitoba on this issue. The Government of Manitoba has now provided the first tranche of information to the Impact Assessment Agency. We continue to await the second tranche of information that would allow us to proceed through the process, as it should be done, as it is always done. We are working v…
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Mr. Speaker, contained in the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s mandate letter is a commitment to develop further protections for and take active steps in the cleanup of the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Simcoe and other large lakes. Environment and Climate Change Canada is currently exploring approaches to further protect and restore vital freshwater ecosystems to support the…
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Mr. Speaker, the proposed clean fuel standard regulations were published in Canada Gazette, part I, on December 19, along with the regulatory impact assessment statement, which includes provincial, regional, and sectoral considerations. These documents can be found at http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2020/2020-12-19/html/reg2-eng.html.
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