Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by noting that I was in Saskatchewan last week for meetings with the Government of Saskatchewan and with provincial officials. I grew up and went to university in Saskatchewan, and for a time, I worked for the provincial government there. With regard to carbon emissions, Canadians know that reducing emissions will make our economy more competitive, not less.

Engineering Award  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to inform the House that Dr. Don Mavinic of the University of British Columbia's department of engineering and a resident of my riding of North Vancouver is this year's recipient of the prestigious Gold Medal Award from Engineers Canada. The Gold Medal Award bestows distinction on outstanding engineers and recognizes exceptional achievements in their chosen fields.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, there have been numerous meetings and engagements with first nations communities relating to Site C and a range of other resource projects. As I have outlined, there is an intent to engage robustly in the development of new environmental assessment measures going forward.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government, as the Prime Minister and others have said many times, is committed to working collaboratively with Canada's indigenous peoples to achieve results that will be beneficial for all Canadians. We made this commitment during the election campaign and we have made it a key priority for the early months of this government.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, I would start by welcoming the hon. member to the delegation that he actually attended in Paris. It was a delegation that actually was extraordinarily effective. It looked to bring together Canadians around a critical issue that we all know needs to be addressed. It is something that we continue to work on, and we will continue to work on in partnership with other members of this House.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, I think it is fair to say that the Canadian delegation to COP21 had an enormous impact. In fact, the American delegation noted that the Canadians in Paris were extraordinarily effective. Our delegation was inclusive. We included youth, first nations and indigenous communities, business people, and social service organizations to start the process of developing a pan-Canadian consensus on the need to address climate change.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, let me once again say how proud I personally am that the Prime Minister of Canada is in New York to sign the historic Paris agreement. Our government is also incredibly proud and I think Canadians are proud of the work that Canada has done with respect to climate change since coming into office.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, this government came into office after 10 years of complete and utter inaction on climate change on the part of the previous government. Since elected, this government has played a very significant role in the achievement of the historic Paris agreement. It has launched a federal-provincial-territorial process to develop a pan-Canadian plan to reduce emissions and to invest in the clean growth economy.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, I am not sure if the hon. member was listening, but Canada is a federation, and that involves provinces and territories. The Canadian government is working with the provinces and territories to develop a pan-Canadian framework that is focused on reducing emissions and on investing in the clean growth economy.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, this government came to power after 10 years of inaction on the part of the previous government with respect to climate change. In the short six months that we have been in power, we have launched a pan-Canadian process to address this on a critical basis. We have been a constructive part of actually achieving the Paris agreement.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, unlike my colleague on the other side of the House, this government recognizes that Canada is a federation and it actually involves the provinces. We are working actively with our provincial and territorial colleagues to develop a pan-Canadian process to reducing carbon emissions and to actually developing a robust, clean growth economy.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, we agree with the results of the Conference Board of Canada. Ten years of inaction on the part of the previous government with respect to environmental matters relating to climate change, environmental assessments, and other things have left Canada in a very poor situation in the world in terms of our environmental record.

The Environment  Madam Speaker, I would highlight some of the significant investments this government made in the budget. We have made significant investments in public transit, a billion dollars in clean tech, and a range of investments to address climate change. We have embarked on a pan-Canadian discussion that will allow us to work with the provinces proactively to address climate emissions.

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, I would like to refer my hon. colleague to a number of elements in the budget which focus on innovation and driving clean technology into sectors such as the mining industry, to enable the mining industry to become more carbon friendly, but also more productive and more efficient.

Natural Resources  Mr. Speaker, Canada's government is working actively with the provinces and territories to develop and implement a Canadian plan to reduce emissions and to further the clean-growth economy. We welcome the discussion with respect to carbon pricing. Carbon pricing is something that will be part of the outcome of the discussions.