Mr. Speaker, in beginning the adjournment proceedings this evening, I turn my attention to a question that I asked numerous times. Tonight's adjournment proceedings deal with the time I asked the question of the Prime Minister, which is found in the Hansard for April 2. I had asked the Minister of the Environment as well, and part of tonight's adjournment proceedings will bring this issue up to date.
To give you maybe a spoiler alert, Mr. Speaker, you will find that I was able to get a response through the efforts of a journalist, having failed to get a better answer here in the House. I am hoping that we pick up in tonight's adjournment proceedings discussion about Canada's climate target with the advantage of the additional information brought into the picture by Aaron Wherry of Maclean's magazine.
Just to recap, on April 2, my point to the Prime Minister was that, in light of the IPCC's most recent report on the severity of the climate crisis and the clock ticking very rapidly toward a point where Canada's actions would cease to make much difference, we still have time to act, and that is what the IPCC is urging us to do, as are other nations around the world.
We now have Environment Canada's estimates of where this country will be in terms of greenhouse emissions by the year 2020 when the Prime Minister's Copenhagen target is due and, again, to underline, the Prime Minister adopted that target. Environment Canada says that by 2020 we will be nowhere near it, not even close.
I asked the Prime Minister if, given the information that we were headed toward a 100% failure rate on current commitments, the government was still committed to reaching the Copenhagen target of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. The Prime Minister's answer was on the same topic, but it did not answer the question. The Prime Minister, at the time, stated:
...as you know, the government remains committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while doing so in a way that obviously respects Canadians' jobs and protects our economy.
However, there was no reference to the Copenhagen target or whether the government or the Prime Minister regarded themselves as still committed. In questions to the Minister of the Environment, I received a similar response, not expressing any firm commitment to actually reach the target that was adopted in 2009 by the Prime Minister.
Subsequently, it was the work of a reporter, Aaron Wherry with Maclean's magazine, who, curious about my various attempts to get an answer, pursued the matter himself. He contacted the Minister of the Environment's office to ask if the government was still committed. Initially, an evasive answer was received, but, surprisingly, on his second effort, came this response from the office of the Minister of the Environment, “Absolutely, we are committed”. Again, to verify it a few days later, Mr. Wherry contacted the office of the Minister of the Environment with this question, “Does the government intend to fulfill its commitment?”, again referring to Copenhagen. The response was, “Yes”.
Now I would like to pursue with the hon. parliamentary secretary what steps are currently planned, when they will be rolled out, and when we will see a plan that would allow the Prime Minister and his administration to keep the commitment that they have now confirmed publicly to Maclean's magazine that they regard themselves as committed to. When will we see a plan to get to 17% below 2005 levels by 2020?