Parliamentary Speeches

Mr. Speaker, the cost of climate change for Canadians is in the tens of billions of dollars, and it seems like the Conservative Party of Canada does not understand that we are all paying for this. There is no escaping it. We have to address the issue of climate change as we address issues of affordability, which is why two weeks ago, thanks to the climate action incentive payments, a family of four received $186 in Ontario, $208 in Manitoba, $275 in Saskatchewan and $269 in Alberta. They will be receiving this four times a year.

Mr. Speaker, it was none other than the Conservative Party of Canada's director of communications, Ben Woodfinden. He also said, “Instead of scoring cheap political points...Conservatives need to get serious and offer their own alternative.” Where is this alternative? Why does the Leader of the Opposition not listen to his own director of communications, get serious and step up for climate action and a resilient, low-carbon economy?

Mr. Speaker, more than 600 lives were lost in British Columbia due to the heat waves and forest fires, which is something we have never seen in the history of this country. It was the costliest natural catastrophe in the history of our country. Who do the official opposition members think is paying for the tens of billions of dollars that climate change is costing British Columbians and Canadians all across the country? They have no answer whatsoever on the climate crisis.

Mr. Speaker, just last week, the Insurance Bureau of Canada unveiled that storm Fiona caused more than $600 million of insured losses. These are not total damages. That makes it the most expensive storm in Atlantic Canada. On this side of the House, we are fighting climate change and supporting Canadians. Just two weeks ago, we sent $186 to families in Ontario, $208 to families in Manitoba, $275 to families in Saskatchewan and $269 to families in Alberta.

Mr. Speaker, right now in British Columbia, parts of the province have been without water for more than 100 days. In Port aux Basques, more than 100 families will not be able to go back to their homes, and that is just the beginning. In fact, some people are saying they do not want to go back because it has become too dangerous. What does the Conservative Party have to say about what it would do to fight climate change and protect Canadians? It would do nothing. In fact, they want to make pollution free again in Canada. That is unacceptable. We have to work to protect Canadians from the impacts of climate change.

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that in Quebec, we use a carbon pricing system that is different than the federal system. In an effort to collaborate with the provinces, we have allowed those who wanted to keep their own system to do so. In Quebec, the federal carbon pricing system does not apply; the cap-and-trade system does. I would be pleased to explain to my colleague the difference between the two.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the member for Durham, who said, “We recognize that the most efficient way to reduce our emissions is to use pricing mechanisms.” We agree, and I will also quote the member for New Brunswick Southwest, who said, “The backstop will kick in, the feds will take it over, and...cheques will begin to roll out to New Brunswick”. That is exactly what we are doing. We are fighting climate change and supporting Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the only way to eliminate energy poverty is to reduce household costs in energy by fighting climate change. With the volatility of oil prices and the record profits of oil companies, the Conservatives are proposing that Canadians be chained to the oil and gas markets and be completely vulnerable to foreign wars and cartels. Our plan is to give Canadians autonomy and sovereignty in their energy needs and finances.

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question. I would point out that the president of the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec himself stated in an interview for that article that federal public servants are not supposed to use their office equipment to disclose information that is supposed to remain internal to the government. Of course, we are working to advance the cause of French. When I was heritage minister, I worked hard to ensure that we invested more than any other government to support art and culture across the country, and particularly in Quebec.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to tell my colleague that the very important international magazine National Geographic named the Prime Minister of Canada man of the year for the work Canada is doing to protect nature. It is no coincidence that the United Nations turned to us to organize the next international UN conference on biodiversity. When this conference could not be held in China, the UN turned to Canada because it is one of the countries that is doing the most to protect biodiversity and fight climate change.

Madam Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that, in the last year alone, we invested $15 billion in the electric battery and electric vehicle sector. That money went to 10 different projects, including several in Quebec. The German chancellor came to Canada to announce a project to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind power. When my colleague talks about what we are doing in Canada, that is it. That is exactly what we are doing. We are making a green shift and investing tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars in Canada's green transition.

Madam Speaker, I would like to reassure my colleague. The federal price on pollution does not apply to Quebec, because Quebec has kept its own cap-and-trade system, which operates in a completely different way from the carbon pricing system. In Quebec's case, emissions are reduced through the cap component of their system, not a price increase. That is how it works. There will be no increase in Quebec.

Madam Speaker, in the last three years, we have had the most costly forest fires in the history of Canada, the most costly floods in the history of Canada and now the most costly tropical storm in the history of Canada. Climate change is costing Canadians billions of dollars, and this is just the beginning unless we act. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party has no plan whatsoever. In fact, it wants to make pollution free and wants to pay polluters even more. On this side of the House, we will work to fight climate change and we will work to support Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to enlighten my colleague on the other side about the difference between federal carbon pricing and the Quebec government's cap and trade system. The Quebec government has no planned increases because the Quebec system works on a cap and trade basis, and the cap is the part that goes down. It is not related to the price. I would be pleased to explain the difference between the two to my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. Climate change is a very pressing issue, which is why our government is working hand in hand with colleagues, provinces, territories, indigenous leadership and municipalities to build the first-ever national adaptation plan so Canadians are better prepared to fight climate change. Yes, we are in the process of meeting our commitment to eliminating fossil fuel subsidies two years earlier than all of our G20 partners. This will be done by next year. These subsidies have already gone down from $12 billion to $4 billion just at EDC in the last few years.

Mr. Speaker, in the 1970s, people thought that fighting climate change was the environment minister's responsibility. For our government, it is the responsibility of all ministers and all members on this side of the House. Everyone must fight climate change, whether it is the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transport, the Department of Justice or the Department of the Environment. That is exactly what we are doing, and that is why in Canada we now have twice as much investment in renewable energy and clean technology as we do in fossil fuels. The more we move forward, the more investment there will be in the renewable energy sector and the less there will be in the fossil fuel sector.

Mr. Speaker, the only way to eliminate energy poverty and reduce household energy costs in Canada is by fighting climate change. With the volatility of oil prices and the record profits of oil companies, Conservatives are proposing Canadians be chained to the oil and gas markets and completely vulnerable to foreign wars and cartels. Our plan would give Canadians autonomy and sovereignty in their energy needs and their finances. Why do Conservatives want to let foreign oligarchs dictate Canadian household finances?

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that those members would talk about energy poverty, because when they were in power, the first thing they did was cut energy efficiency projects for the lowest-income Canadians. Hundreds of people were laid off. That is the first thing they did when they came into power in 2006. Then what did the Conservatives do? They eliminated subsidies to help Canadians buy electric vehicles. Then what did they do? They limited support for renewable energy projects. If there is energy poverty in the country, it is because the Conservative Party was in power for 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, just last Friday, thanks to the climate action incentive payments, a family of four received $208 in Manitoba, $275 in Saskatchewan, $269 in Alberta and $186 in the member opposite's province. This will happen four times a year. We can fight climate change and support Canadians, and that is exactly what we are doing. The Conservatives have no plan to fight climate change and no plan to help Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, in fact, we are helping households transition away from dirty and expensive home heating oil to more affordable and greener heating sources. We are doing that, and have committed to doing that, with our partners in Atlantic Canada. We are working with every single province in Atlantic Canada to support programs that they have put in place, with $250 million to help tens of thousands of Canadians have access to cheaper and greener energy. We can fight climate change and help Canadians. On those two fronts, the Conservatives have nothing to say.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question and remind him that we have one of the most rigorous environmental assessment processes. It is a process, by the way, that the Conservatives opposed with Bill C-69. We are also committed to supplying clean, renewable energy to European countries. That is why the German chancellor came to Canada to sign an agreement on hydrogen that will be produced with wind power. This is exactly what we are doing in Canada: supporting Canadians and Canadian businesses and fighting climate change.

Mr. Speaker, 10 prime ministers ago, in 1970, a program was created to help Canadians face the impacts of natural catastrophes in this country. Since 1970, $8.5 billion has been paid, but a third of that was paid in the last six years. The cost of natural catastrophes is increasing in Canada. We just need to talk to people in Atlantic Canada. If the Conservatives do not care about finances, then maybe they will care about human suffering and loss of life due to climate change. They have nothing to say about that, but we do.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question. First, I would like to remind her that the board is at arm's length from the federal government. Second, any new energy production project will be subject to our environmental assessment process, have a greenhouse gas emission cap, and be governed by the strictest regulations on methane emissions reduction, not in North America, not among G7 countries, but in the world. With a target to reduce methane emissions by 75% by 2030, we have the strictest regulations.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for caring so much about my image. What matters to us is setting the record straight. I think my colleague is confusing me, the Minister of the Environment, with the leader of the Bloc Québécois, who allowed drilling on Anticosti Island without an environmental assessment and without any public consultation with the local population or indigenous peoples. That is not how we operate here.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that we are putting the pedal to the metal on renewable energy projects, clean tech projects like the one in Newfoundland to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind power. It will be one of the greenest projects on the planet. In fact, that is why the German chancellor spent a week in Canada. Canada is going to be a partner of choice for the green transition, not just in Canada, not just in North America, but around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I have a riddle for you. What does the following list of states and countries have in common: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Korea, Norway, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, the U.K., provinces like Quebec, B.C. and Alberta and countries like China? They all have a price on carbon. Alberta, in fact, has had a price on carbon since 2004. It is almost 20 years. That is what is happening in Canada and around the world. We are fighting climate change and we are helping Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read an excerpt from the last report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer on carbon pricing in Canada, which states, “we project most households will see a net gain, receiving more in rebates from federal carbon pricing under the [government] than the total amount they pay in federal fuel charges”. He adds, “For the vast majority of households in the backstop provinces, their rebates exceed their carbon costs.”

Mr. Speaker, $7 billion was the cost to Canadians of the forest fire in Fort McMurray. Nine billion dollars was the cost to Canadians of the floods in B.C. last year. The cost of Fiona will likely be above anything we have seen in Canada. The cost of climate impacts in this country have gone up 400% in the last decade. Canadians are paying the cost of that. What is the answer from the Conservative Party of Canada? There is nothing. On this side of the House, we will fight climate change and we will support Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Chateauguay—Lacolle for her question and her dedication to the issue of climate change and the environment. I am pleased to announce that we will be welcoming the first members of this youth council tomorrow and Thursday in Ottawa. This council will provide the Government of Canada with the opportunity to hear from young Canadians who are passionate about urgent climate and environmental issues and to work together to find solutions to climate change in their communities. The skills, experience and ingenuity of these members are an invaluable contribution to Canada's efforts to create a better environment, a better future for all.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the opposition leader for his question. It allows me to talk about the fact that our carbon pricing program is one of the most effective in the world, since it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which have gone down by 9%, contrary to what we are hearing in the House. What is more, 100% of the revenue generated from the carbon pricing program returns to the provinces that generated that revenue. That means 90% goes back to families and 10% goes back to businesses, municipalities and indigenous communities.

Mr. Speaker, I have a riddle. Who said, “We recognize that the most efficient way to reduce our emissions is to use pricing mechanisms?” One could say it was the Minister of the Environment, or my friend and colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources, or the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, but no, it was the member for Durham, and I agree with him. Pricing mechanisms are the most effective way to fight climate change pollution, and he said that in April of 2021.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for allowing me this opportunity to talk about the fact they were getting their next time. Carbon pricing is good. What they wanted to put in place was the principle of pay to pollute. That is not how we do it on this side of the House. The principle is polluters pay and not pay to pollute. Next time, when they flip-flop again on carbon pricing, like they have done about 15 times in the last 10 years, pricing pollution is good, the polluter pays principle. They need to go that extra step.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that we are putting in place a program to help tens of thousands of Canadians get off home heating oil. The price of home heating oil is skyrocketing because of the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We will put a quarter of a billion dollars to help tens of thousands of Canadians go to clean, efficient, renewable energy in Canada to heat their homes and save money.

Mr. Speaker, in fact, B.C. has had a price on carbon for the last 10 years, and its pollution level has gone below 2007 levels. Quebec is 3% below its 1990 levels since it has had a price on pollution. The European Union countries are 24% below their 1990 levels, and they have had a price on pollution for the last 15 years. In fact, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said that Canadians would be getting more money from the price on carbon this year, next year, the year after that and the year after that.

Mr. Speaker, earlier during question period, I referred to the member for Durham, who spoke about the benefit of pricing carbon to fight pollution. I would also like to refer to the member for New Brunswick Southwest, who also urged his premier to adopt the federal system because “cheques will begin to roll out to New Brunswick families”. That is exactly right. We can work to fight pollution, work to fight climate change and help Canadian families. I agree with the member for New Brunswick Southwest.