Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois talks a lot about the importance of respecting provincial jurisdictions and fighting climate change. Today, we did just that. Today, Quebec's minister of the environment, the fight against climate change, wildlife and parks, Benoit Charette, said that he welcomed the announcement of a cap and trade system for the oil industry, and that it was a good day for the envi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today was an important day. Canada became the first oil and gas producer in the world to put a cap on oil and gas emissions, and we are on a trajectory to reducing to net zero by 2050. It is important in our fight against climate change. It is important in ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the oil and gas sector as we decarbonize and ensure that the products we are producing a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I find the question coming form the hon. member very interesting given he was a member of the caucus of the B.C. Liberal government that put in place the carbon price in British Columbia. His leader, the former premier, Gordon Campbell, said at the time that putting a price on carbon pollution was a way to reduce emissions, incent innovation and drive an economy going forward. He vote…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada has put in place a very ambitious plan, perhaps the most detailed in the world, to combat climate change. Today, we announced the world's first cap on oil and gas sector emissions. We are leading the way in this sector, and in the world, to combat climate change in a way that ensures we will have a strong and prosperous economy in the future.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a price on pollution is an important part of a climate plan, one that addresses affordability concerns. The vast majority of Canadians receive more money in the rebate than they pay in the price of pollution. The only group to benefit from the Conservative plan to end the climate program and to end the rebate would be the top 20% of earners, while almost everyone else would be poorer …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, eight out of 10 Canadian families actually get more money back. If he would take the time to actually read the study that was published by the University of Calgary recently, he would know that the people who are most vulnerable get far more money back than they actually pay. Instead of presenting a plan for the economy or for the environment, the Leader of…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, 98% of farm fuel emissions are already not impacted by the price on pollution. Farmers, though, are on the front lines of climate change. They understand the critical importance of addressing the climate issue. There are many factors that are contributing to the rise of food prices in Canada and around the world, including the war in Ukraine. While the Conservatives continue to vote a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think it is time that the Conservative Party stopped misleading Canadians on these issues. I certainly would invite them to read the article that the University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe put out yesterday, which basically shows that 95% Canadians with low and moderate incomes get more money back. Rather than talking about axing the tax, Conservatives should be talking about …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, it is important that we meet with people from all sectors of the economy. Of course, I have also met many times with the Bloc Québécois. This week, we announced new regulations to reduce methane emissions by 75%. We are the first country in the world to make this commitment. It is a very important step in fighting climate change, and we are very proud of it.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to have meetings with participants from every sector of the economy. That includes the oil sector of course, but also environmental groups. Two weeks ago, I had a meeting with people from Environmental Defence, CAN‑Rac and many other environmental groups to have these very important conversations.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, to date, a total of 496 firefighters have been trained through the fighting and managing wildfires in a changing climate program’s training fund, and $5,535,637 of the $28 million has been spent in the following cost categories, which are the expenditures: training, working groups and professional development costs and costs to develop training; salaries, benefits and stipends; materi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that seems like an odd question. We meet with people from all sectors of the economy. It is important for the government to have those conversations so we can make sure we have heard everyone's perspective before we implement public policies.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we implemented a plan to fight climate change. It is the most robust and detailed plan in the world. We are very proud of that. We have a plan. We believe that we have to fight climate change, and we are taking action every day for the sake of our children's future.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we introduced regulations yesterday to reduce methane emissions by 75%. We are the first nation in the world to do exactly that. This is something that needs to be done to take action on climate change, which we are doing every day.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her work. This global goal is in keeping with our work to provide affordable energy while protecting Quebec's advantage in clean, reliable energy. The new federal clean investment credits will unlock projects and create jobs. While we are working hard to build the future, the Conservatives on the other side want to tear down Quebec's clean economy, and the Blo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, we have meetings with participants from every sector of the economy. Of course, that includes the oil sector, but it also includes the automotive sector and many others. As I also said, we announced something that is a first in the world. Yesterday, we announced that we will bring in regulations to reduce methane emissions by 75%. We are the first country in th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is incredibly important and needed because we are moving toward a low-carbon future. That is happening around the world. Even if the Conservatives want to deny the reality of climate change, everybody else around the world recognizes that we can have a plan for the economy that does acknowledge moving toward a lower-carbon future. At the end of the day, it is important that voice…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is very important that we have a conversation about the future, about an active and prosperous economy in a low-carbon world. This conversation about sustainable jobs is very important everywhere in Canada, and we are working with the provinces and territories to build a strong and prosperous economy for the future.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I think it is true that, under the current leader of the Conservative Party, it has become a party of tearing everything down. There is not one constructive suggestion coming forward from the Conservative Party of Canada. Certainly, Conservatives have worked to ensure that there is no conversation about this bill. They have done the same thing with respect to the development of offs…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is very important that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions everywhere, in all sectors of the economy. We need a plan to accelerate economic development in all the provinces and territories. It is very important. One hydrogen company in Quebec used the tax credit set up by the government. It is a tool that speeds up—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would correct a couple of things my hon. colleague said. There is actually an interim action plan that has already been released for the period 2023-25. What the bill would do is put into law the requirement that we actually have the action plans going forward, every five years. That is for the purpose of transparency and accountability. It is a very important mechanism, just like…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my goodness, how should I begin? At the end of the day, this is about creating an economy that would be strong and create jobs going forward. It is not about burying our head in the sand and trying to imagine a future that actually existed 30 years ago. In order to have a relevant plan for the economy, we have to have a relevant plan for the environment, and our plan is working. At …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this is about two things. It is about ensuring that we actually have a plan to build an economy that can be strong and prosperous in a low-carbon future, and it is about ensuring that we have workers who are available and equipped to succeed, to actually ensure that we are able to build the economy of the future. I would say to the hon. member that he just needs to look around him a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, labour and workers across the country are incredibly frustrated with the circus-type antics of the Conservative Party, which are holding up discussion and debate and preventing witnesses from appearing before the committee. The president of the Canadian Labour Congress recently said, “By holding up this bill continuously, the Conservatives are not speaking for workers on this issue.…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there is a lot of revisionist history in there. The committee has been blocked by the Conservative filibuster for six weeks, which is 11 meetings and about 25 hours. The committee has been stuck on the same meeting since October 30. The committee could have heard from witnesses on both bills, Bill C-49 and Bill C-50, which were in front of the committee, but the Conservatives blocke…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we are having to move closure because the committee has been blocked by a Conservative filibuster, behaviour that Parliament has never seen. For six weeks, 11 meetings, the committee has been stuck on the same meeting. It has been since October 30. Multiple witnesses could have been called to have a robust conversation about this bill. The committee could have focused on trying to e…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, once again, my hon. colleague has clearly not read the bill. The bill is a transparency mechanism that would establish a partnership council of labour, industry, indigenous peoples and youth to provide advice to the government on how we work together to build an economy that is going to create jobs and economic prosperity. There is nothing across jurisdictions in the bill, and I wou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his consistent advocacy for Alberta and Albertans. Any relevant and credible plan—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is also shameful that they have looked to exclude workers across the country from a conversation that is very much about the future of their jobs and the future of their industries. It is about building a strong economy for the future, one that will create jobs and economic prosperity in every part of the country. It is shameful that the Conservatives have worked very actively to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, perhaps that is because the Conservative Party has been filibustering the committee for 11 different meetings, with six weeks of filibuster, not allowing discussion and not allowing witnesses to have a conversation, which is what committees are supposed to do. It is a shameful waste of taxpayers' resources and the Conservatives should be ashamed of themselves.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would have welcomed having Luke and Steve come to the committee if the Conservatives had let any witnesses speak at committee. That would have been very valuable. It would also have been valuable to have stakeholders from across the country having a conversation with MPs at committee, as committees are supposed to do. However, the committee was prevented from having any conversati…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the purpose of the bill is to better position the government to take more effective measures in areas of federal jurisdiction. It will not interfere in areas under provincial jurisdiction. We will continue to work in partnership with the provinces and territories and that, of course, includes Quebec.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a price on pollution is an important part of addressing the climate issue in a manner that actually promotes innovation and incentives. I will read a couple of quotes: “We recognize that the most efficient way to reduce our emissions is to use price mechanisms.” Also, “We will work with the provinces and territories...at both the national and state levels, to develop...a trade system …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank my hon. colleague for his consistent advocacy for Alberta. Any relevant, credible plan must take climate change seriously and look to seize the economic opportunities that can come through a transition to a low-carbon future. Last week, Dow announced it was taking advantage of Canada's carbon capture hydrogen investment tax credit to build the world's …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would say, just listening to what my hon. colleague said, that she clearly has not read what the bill says. Perhaps that is because—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, members will not be surprised to know that I actually agree with the comments my hon. colleague made. The bill before us is a very important one. It is an important bill for building an economy that would create jobs and economic opportunity in every province and territory in this country, certainly in Newfoundland and Labrador. That includes the offshore wind industry that the memb…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague often neglects to mention a whole range of important facts. The price on pollution is an important component of a broad approach to fighting climate change. It is done in a manner that addresses affordability concerns. Eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back than they pay. With respect to home heating oil, it is a specific case. We are focused on ensuri…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party pretends to offer certain principles and if people do not like those, they have other principles. In the 2008 platform of the Conservatives, it states, “We will work...to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases and air pollution.” In their 2021 platform that they all ran on, they said, “We recognize that the most effi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, certainly, enhancing building efficiency is extremely important in the fight against climate change and in the appropriate utilization of our natural resources. We put into place a number of programs, including the oil and heat pump program, but also the green buildings program, which actually provides a $5,000 grant to Canadians to improve the energy efficiency of their home. The num…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member says is both factually incorrect and grossly misleading. We have put a price on pollution in this country, one that actually helps us to address the existential threat that is climate change, but have done so in a manner that is affordable. Eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back than they pay in the carbon price. It is a manner that is affordable fo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, from February 2021 to March 2023, the total expenditure for the 2 billion trees program was $150.2 million, namely$67.9 million in 2021-22 and $82.3 million in 2022-23. The majority of this was related to expenditures for signed grants and contributions agreements, which total $131.3 million, namely $60.3 million in 2021-22 and $71 million in 2…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly ironic to hear a Conservative member of Parliament talk about the lack of an environmental plan. We went through 10 years under Prime Minister Harper when there was no regard for the environment and there was no climate plan. We were seen as the dinosaur in the international community because of the lack of any action. This government has put in place a comprehensive …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Do you know what is the height of hypocrisy, Mr. Speaker? It is a member of Parliament who was elected on a campaign platform that included a price on pollution and who now disavows that every day in the House. It is an Atlantic Canadian member of Parliament who is actively opposing the development of a major offshore wind and hydrogen project in Nova Scotia in direct opposition to the Conservativ…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as I have said before in the House, people may be entitled to their opinions but they are not entitled to their own facts. The commissioner this morning actually said that it was effective and it was working, and so do all of the academics. I do not know where that person gets her facts, but at the end of the day, the facts are the facts. The fact is that those folks do not have a pla…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as is too frequently the case in the House, the member is just factually wrong. At the end of the day, the previous Conservative government got almost nothing built, including zero LNG facilities, because it gutted the environmental assessment process. It paid no heed to environmental impacts and did not have a climate plan. At the end of the day, we have put in place measures to ensu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, it is important to actually have a plan to address critical affordability issues in a long-term way, but also to continue to address the climate crisis. Those are the measures that we have put into place. I have to say again that I find it the height of hypocrisy that my hon. colleague across the way, who ran on a platform that included putting a pric…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think every party in this House is concerned about affordability issues, but the only party in this House that does not care about the climate crisis is the Conservative Party of Canada. It is the only party that actually has no plan to address it and does not even believe that climate change is real. Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition essentially said he would walk away from C…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we are moving forward on a program that will ensure long-term affordability for people who utilize heating oil and that they do so in a manner that is consistent with addressing climate change. I have reached out to my counterpart in the Government of Alberta, and we will be having conversations about how Alberta can participate in this project moving forward. However,…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank my colleague from Yukon for his tireless advocacy for his constituents. Heat pumps have been well-tested and adopted in northern climates for years. That is why we are working to deploy more cold climate heat pumps across the territory to reduce ongoing energy bills and to reduce emissions. In fact, heating oil actually serves over 50% of the population in Yukon, ma…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend across the way used the word “revolting”. What is revolting are the tactics and the circus act that are going on in the natural resources committee, blocking the passage of Bill C-49. It is endangering the health and safety of the translators in that committee. It is an enormous waste of taxpayer money. It is opposing the Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia and the Prem…
Read full speech →