Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise once more to reiterate that the Canadian Rangers have been a vital part of the Canadian Armed Forces for the last 75 years and to express our sincere gratitude for the critical work they do. We know that efforts are under way within the Canadian Army to improve the reimbursement process for Canadian Rangers who file an appropriate claim for lost or damaged gear. We know that th…
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Mr. Speaker, during this time of increasing strategic competition and uncertainty in the global security environment, we in this House and Canadians across the country can take heart in the important work of the Canadian Rangers. Canadian Rangers contribute to the sovereignty and defence of Canada. They work in some of the most difficult-to-reach regions of our country. They help safeguard our nor…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and I can agree public transit is very important, and it is important for all the reasons he listed, including the fact that it helps people to get around. It is better for emissions. It is better for clean air in our communities and frankly it allows for a certain amount of freedom, particularly for young people who are too young to even have a driver's licence. I…
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Mr. Speaker, public transit is dear to my heart. In fact, I do not own a car myself. I actually think an important part of public transit is including active transportation infrastructure, which is why I am so proud our government created the first national active transportation fund. Support for transit means greater quality of life for Canadians, and our government has made the largest investmen…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it infuriating, in light of the week that we have had, to hear the member opposite, who ran on carbon pricing when he ran to be elected as a member of Parliament in downtown Toronto, say that he thinks it is appropriate to be in this place and arguing against a price on carbon pollution, which is one of the most effective mechanisms for fighting climate change. What we do know …
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Mr. Speaker, it has been very clear that we are putting a cap on oil and gas emissions, but let us also talk about what we are doing to reduce combustion right across our entire economy. Just last year, we tabled an emissions reduction plan. It covers all sectors, and we are doing that work. We are moving to a sales target on zero-emissions vehicles. We are helping Canadians to transition the fuel…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, when we took office, only 1% of our lands and waters were conserved and protected. Now we are at 14%, and we will reach 30% by 2030. We will keep doing this great work. We are continuing to invest in renewable energy. That is what we did with Bill C‑49. It will provide a lot of renewable energy opportunities in the Atlantic provinces.
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Mr. Speaker, we have already talked about this, and I want to repeat that those are only exploration licences and not production licences. It is very important to know that. A production project has never been proposed in a marine refuge. It is quite possible that such a project would be rejected. Furthermore, I would like to speak about the work we are currently doing with Bill C-49. It will make…
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I cannot imagine.
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Mr. Speaker, first I will say that these are exploration permits and not production permits. That is important. In the case of a production permit, there is an environmental assessment process that oil companies must go through. Second, we continue to protect our waters and our land. When we formed government, 1% were protected; we are now at 14% and we are aiming for 30% by 2030.
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Mr. Speaker, when we first took office, only 1% of our waters and lands were protected. Now our goal is to protect 30% by 2030, and we are already at 14%. We are doing some good work. We could also talk about what we did last week with the Atlantic accords. We presented a framework for wind power projects in Newfoundland. This is going to be very important for the economy and for the environment.
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Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to reiterate that this was an independent business decision made by Equinor; it was not a cancellation. The decision was largely due to market forces. Let us also talk about the fact that, right now, we have introduced legislation to diversify Newfoundland and Labrador's economy. We have introduced Bill C-49, and it provides huge opportunities for offshore projects…
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Mr. Speaker, we are getting good projects done. I would like to highlight that, just earlier this year, we approved two mines. James Bay lithium and Marathon palladium were both approved under the government. More than that, if we are looking at LNG projects, let us look at Cedar LNG. It is a first nation-owned business, and it is something that has been pointed out by that first nation as being e…
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Mr. Speaker, again, I want to reiterate that this was an independent business decision that was based largely on market forces. Let us talk about the fact that Newfoundland and Labrador's opportunities go well beyond one project and that is where we are with them, to support them. In fact, we have, just this past week, tabled a bill with the accord acts, to make sure they are able to take advantag…
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Madam Speaker, it seems there is conflation of a lot of issues, when I hear the member opposite speak. I was looking at a study from U of T about safe consumption sites, and it says that there was a city-wide overdose mortality reduction of 42% between the time when we started, before we had safe consumption sites, and now. Not only that, but in neighbourhoods that are 500 metres around a safe con…
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Madam Speaker, I will agree with the member opposite that there is much more beyond prescribed harm reduction to resolve the issues we are facing with the opioid crisis. Where I disagree is that the British Columbia coroners office specifically stated, “There is no indication that prescribed safe supply is contributing to illicit drug deaths.” It is British Columbia's coroner who said that. How do…
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Madam Speaker, one of thing I have been having trouble with in the debate today is that there are certain elements of an entire spectrum of care required for the opioid crisis, but one is being pulled out as if it is the only one being proposed by the government, which is not true. Also, the experience in my community seems to be very different from what I hear from the members opposite. In 2022 i…
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Mr. Speaker, during question period, the member for Calgary Forest Lawn referred to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change in a derogatory way. Calling someone names like that is unparliamentary. I would ask that the member opposite withdraw that comment and apologize.
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Mr. Speaker, to begin, I want to make it clear that we are talking about exploration, not production. Before our government took office, less than 1% of our oceans were protected. Today, over 14% of our oceans are protected and we will get to 30% by 2030. If members want to talk about this subject, then we can talk about the fact that, when the leader of the Bloc Québécois was serving as the Quebe…
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Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we can be proud of in this place is that we put in a national urban park, Rouge National Urban Park, which is an amazing jewel for our city. It is something that we have worked on and that we protect. It has species that are very important and endangered, and that we protect within that space. We have started a study, through the Impact Assessment Agency, to mak…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that question, because it gives me an opportunity to talk a bit about how carbon pricing works. To be clear, the way carbon pricing works is that every bit of money that comes through the carbon price is returned to the province; it goes to the families in the province, as well as to the hospitals, schools and cities in the province of Ontario. Every pe…
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Mr. Speaker, one thing I have a hard time with in these questions is that carbon pricing is in fact a market mechanism. It encourages industry to be more efficient and to reduce their emissions. That actually makes them more competitive in a world where that is exactly what people are looking for. I would expect the members opposite to be supportive of anything we could do to help our industries b…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. We know that nature is one of our best allies in fighting climate change. On Wednesday, at the Montreal Climate Summit, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced a $40-million investment in three projects under the federal two billion trees program, which will allow for 275,000 trees to be planted in Montreal and Vaudreuil-Dorion. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and consistent with the current policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006”, done at Geneva on January 27, 2006.
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Mr. Speaker, I take pollution incidents and threats to the environment very seriously, and I am deeply disappointed by this situation, as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has also said. Our priority remains the health and the well-being of the people of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, the Mikisew Cree First Nation and the Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation, as well as other communitie…
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Mr. Speaker, Environment and Climate Change officials carried out inspections at the site after they became aware of the incident on February 7. In addition to the investigation, officers will continue to monitor the mitigation measures taken by Imperial Oil to prevent impacts to fish-bearing water, as required by the Fisheries Act direction issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcem…
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Mr. Speaker, listening to the member opposite, I wonder if she sees any value in Canadians having maybe a button on one of their streaming services or a special carousel dedicated to Canadian shows like Heartland or Corner Gas, which employ many Canadians and tell our great Canadian stories. Is there no value in making sure that when Canadians use these streaming services, we can find them easily?
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Mr. Speaker, I want to assure everyone in the House and all Canadians that all radioactive waste in Canada is currently being safely managed according to international standards at facilities that are licensed and monitored by a world-class regulator: the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The CNSC is an independent regulator that makes science-based objective decisions and regularly undergoes pe…
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Mr. Speaker, after a decade of complete inaction by the opposition when it was in government, we are showing that leadership. The IPCC is right: Climate change is real. Climate change is urgent, and we are taking action. That is why we need to continue doing what we are doing. We put a price on carbon pollution. We have an emissions reduction plan that speaks to how we are going to reduce emission…
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Madam Speaker, I agree fully that climate change is a matter of tremendous urgency right now. That is why, in fact, we are taking action. I really liked hearing some of the ideas that the member opposite had because we are working on many of those. I will talk a little about that. The member opposite mentioned the price on carbon pollution as one of the actions we have taken, and I do not think th…
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Madam Speaker, we have unequivocally stated that we will end fossil fuel subsidies. We are working on that, as the member knows. Beyond that, we need to focus not only on investments being made but also on legislated targets, like a sales target that we have put in place to have zero-emission vehicles by 2035, for all new vehicles sold. We are taking positive actions moving forward. I would hope t…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are good at saying sorry, but sorry, not sorry, because we are kicking bleep with our Canadian talent on the world stage. We are highlighting this week the Made Nous campaign. It is celebrating Canadian film and television right around the world. As people are popping out the popcorn and snacks to watch the Oscar's this weekend, we will have an opportunity to celebrate some …
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Madam Speaker, I listened with interest to the member about what further things we need to be considering and thinking about. Could he elaborate a bit more on what he thinks are the most important factors that we need to be thinking about in this place as we consider this legislation?
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Madam Speaker, if the member opposite was talking to his constituents, he might have also been told that, in January, they received either a direct-deposit payment or a cheque as a climate action incentive. It has been shown that eight out of 10 Canadians will receive more through that backstop than was paid through the climate pricing. In fact, we are working very hard to make life more affordabl…
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Madam Speaker, we are working on real climate solutions right across our economy. Whether it be putting on a target on sales of electric vehicles to reduce combustion, or whether it be retrofitting buildings right across our country to reduce combustion, we are taking action. Carbon capture and storage is one of the tools in the tool box. It is not the only one. Here on this side, we know we are g…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by pointing out to the member opposite, and he is well aware, that Newfoundland does not actually have the federal backstop that applies. I also want to point out that we are helping Canadians make home heating more affordable. We have the “oil to heat pump” program, the greener homes grant, and more than that, today we announced the deep retrofit accelerator ini…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight the importance of the contributions made by someone in my community, Theodoros Trakas. We lost him in December, just shy of his 100th birthday, but boy did he do so much in those 100 years. He moved to Canada from Greece. He had served in the Greek military. In fact, when we celebrated the Oxi Day parade along the Danforth, he was there showing his proud cont…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be presenting two petitions this morning. The first petition is close to my heart because Canadian creators matter. Our writers and publishers are at the centre of this petition brought forward by people from my community. The petitioners are asking for an amendment to the Copyright Act for the government to ensure educational copying is licensed, with royalties flowing back to…
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Mr. Speaker, I have another petition brought forward by people from my community. This one is on foreign affairs. The petition is asking the Government of Canada to send immediate aid to severely affected countries, such as Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syrian Arab Republic, Sudan, northern Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Haiti and Burkina Faso, by releasing…
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to have the opportunity to talk about how we are standing alongside our European allies. We are standing alongside Ukraine and all of our European allies in this really difficult time. I am happy that the member opposite acknowledges that this is a global challenge that we are facing. In fact, when the German Chancellor came to Canada, we worked with him to have a deal on…
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak about everything we are doing for the environment and to support Canadians. I would first like to point out that the federal system does not apply in Quebec because Quebec has its own system. For our part, we are doing a great deal to support Canadians. We just created a dental care plan and provided rental assistance. We understand…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about everything we are doing for the environment. We said we would stop putting money into fossil fuels. We are also working hard to conserve and protect our lands and waters. We are doing that now. We are talking about it here, in Montreal and internationally. Everyone came to see what we are doing. We are proud of what we are doing to p…
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Mr. Speaker, I will say again that we are doing a lot to protect biodiversity and our environment. We have the oceans protection plan and we are making investments in that. I am very pleased that members opposite talked about what we did for the indigenous-led area-based conservation program. A big investment in that program was announced just yesterday. That is important for reconciliation and fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I keep repeating the same thing day after day when I get asked this question: It is simply a tendering process that does not authorize offshore production. I want to clarify that any proposed offshore production would first be subject to the Impact Assessment Act. These are exploratory zones only. This is not for production.
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Mr. Speaker, I have already said this, but I want to make it very clear that the Northeast Newfoundland Slope marine refuge will remain a refuge under current conditions, and we will examine all exploration activities in a marine refuge on a case-by-case basis. What we now have is a tendering process, but that does not authorize production activities.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said in my opening remarks and will repeat once again, what we are focused on is reducing emissions. That is what we are doing, be it through reducing emissions from our buildings or our transportation sectors, or putting a cap on emissions from the oil and gas sector. All of these pieces come together. We are building out our renewable energies and making sure we have an electri…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying I share the sense of urgency my friend was just speaking about, as a person who sees it in the natural disasters we are seeing in our country, as a mother and as someone who cares deeply about her community, about her country and about this world. I share that. That is why I see the work and commitment to doing that hard work, and it is not easy. Anyone who s…
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Madam Speaker, let me be very clear. I have said it before, and I will say it again. Even in a net-zero world, we will always need oil for some things, and not just bike chain grease. We also need it to make lubricant for windmills. If members want to keep seeing latex gloves in our hospitals, we will always need oil. What we are going to do is cap greenhouse gas emissions. That is what we have to…
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Mr. Speaker, a net-zero world will always need oil for non-fuel purposes. We are talking about oil for the bicycle that I ride in town. We will always use it and there will always be a need for it. However, when it comes to exploration, the tendering process does not in itself authorize production activities in the offshore area. We are talking about exploration only, not a proposal for production…
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Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of our work on biodiversity and we are proud to be at COP15 in Montreal. I will be clear. The Northeast Newfoundland Slope marine refuge will remain a refuge under current conditions, and we will examine all exploration activities in the refuge on a case-by-case basis. As I said, the tendering process does not authorize offshore production or development activities. …
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