Thank you, Chair.
We do agree with the science that says greenhouse gas emissions have increased dramatically, and that short-term, medium-term, and long-term targets are necessary. The short-term targets will be released by the government within weeks.
At this committee and in testimony received at other committees as part of the Bill C-30 legislative review, we did hear that there were approximately 13 years of inaction from the previous Liberal government, which left us approximately 35% above the target. We did hear from the testimony, based on science, that these targets would have been good in 1998. It would have been good and possible to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions down to those targets if action had been taken. We did hear testimony, based on science, that it would be extremely difficult to meet those targets without destroying the economy.
Chair, I believe what is being suggested here in amendment NDP-15.1 is not based on science but on politics. I do agree that targets need to be set, in the short, medium, and long term. We need to work with our international partners to achieve substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. We need to set targets and achieve those targets. The targets have to be set on a realistic balance between a healthy environment and a healthy economy. But as I said earlier, I believe the targets that are before us are set politically and are not based on science. That's the testimony we heard. Unfortunately, there is rhetoric in this motion, NDP-15.1, and it's not based on science.
We want to have a clear action, an action that is based on achievable targets and that does reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It's easy for the opposition to set political targets. They're not in government. We don't have an analysis of what the costs and the impacts of these targets would be.
Within the amendments from the Liberals, they acknowledge that they would be putting people out of work and shutting down industry, and they've built in a transition fund. We want a healthy environment, we want a healthy economy, we want that balance, and we want targets set based on science, not politics.
Thank you.