Environment Committee on Oct. 5th, 2006

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

What I have said to you is that there are a number of compliance mechanisms that can help industry sectors reach goals that we set for them. The problem with the former plan was that we had an unachievable target set in place, which led to the need to use the international credit mechanism rather than putting in place a domestic agenda that would see in-house reductions by investments in technology, for example.

It's important as we move ahead that we set realistic targets for our industry sectors so that we are encouraging the maximum investment in best available technology here in Canada. That is what our government will obviously be focused on. We want to keep money here at home. We don't want to send money overseas. Industry and communities across this country need support to reach these kinds of objectives. Compliance mechanisms obviously can help with that.

When it comes to a market, I've clearly indicated that our government does differ from the Liberal government of the past. We will not create a pool of credits paid for with taxpayers' money and use that to create an artificial market, nor will we use taxpayers' money to buy international credits or fund international credit projects.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Vellacott.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Just as a kind of preparatory note, Minister Ambrose, in reference to the comments that Mr. Dion made just moments ago, he is the former environment minister. Knowing the files fairly well, he was honest enough to acknowledge that the Liberal Kyoto targets cannot be met.

To his credit, he was also consistent, and honest enough not to show up and support unachievable Kyoto targets last night in the vote. He did not support or vote for Mr. Rodriguez's bill. I think that's important. He had his hands in the files, and he would be well aware of that, so I appreciate the consistency there.

From that I want to make a segue to--

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Mr. Vellacott, just stay away from the voting, please.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

You have acted in a number of ways, Minister Ambrose. I'm a practical kind of person, as I think most Canadians are. You have been out and about in some very realistic ways, I think, moving to get some achievable things done for the Canadian public.

I'd like you to elaborate, or refresh our memory, on some of the actions you've taken so far on the environment during the very short period of time you've been Minister of the Environment.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

Thank you for your question.

Our government has obviously already acted in very tangible ways. We've made the commitment to Canadians to show progress and to show tangible results in things like investments in public transit, and also in investment in a transit rider tax credit, which is important to make sure that we get Canadians out of their cars and into cleaner transportation. We've made a commitment to cleaner fuels, to setting Canada's first target, and also convening a historic meeting, the first ever, of ministers responsible for renewable fuels in Canada, to set in place a national framework to encourage a renewable fuels strategy.

So we've done a number of things already. We've shown Canadians action that's tangible, that will show progress to Canadians. That is what our government is committed to doing.

As I said before, Canadians know that Canada faces large environmental challenges, but they also know that we can make steps and we can make progress. That's what this government is committed to doing.

I look forward to working with all of the committee members when Canada's clean air act is tabled, to move forward to make it stronger, and to show Canadians that we can work together to put in place, for the first time, a national framework to deal with their number one environmental priority, which is air quality, and another issue that they're very concerned about, which is climate change.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

You also mentioned in your opening statement the review of the 23,000 substances. A lot of work has been put into that, obviously, by good civil servants who have been at this over many years, as was referenced before.

Could you share with us what you believe the completion of that review means for Canada, in concrete and tangible ways?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

As you know, Canadians are increasingly concerned about the toxic chemicals in our environment. A lot of these toxic chemicals are in the household goods and products that we use--in face creams, in clothing, in our upholstery. Our government has an obligation to make sure that we're protecting the health of Canadians by working with industry to ensure that they're not using those kinds of cancer-causing toxic substances.

The categorization process, as Mr. Dion indicated, is a process that has taken seven years to come to. On September 14, Canada became the first country to review 23,000 chemical substances that are in use right now. As I said, our government has already acted on a number of those substances by banning and restricting their use in Canada, but we also will be releasing very soon a comprehensive public action plan on toxic chemicals to ensure, and reassure, Canadians that we will be acting to protect their health.

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Thanks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Thank you.

Minister, I know you have to be somewhere at 10:30, but we have three members--Mr. Cullen, Mr. Silva, and Mr. Harvey--who have very brief questions. I wonder if you might let them ask their questions and either get back to them or give an answer now. And they get one question each, not five minutes each.

Would you be able to stretch it that long?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

Sure. I probably have five minutes, if that's okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Okay.

Mr. Cullen, your question, please.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Wow, one question. I guess I'd better make it a good one.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

You always do.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Oh, thank you.

The question I have is...twofold.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

The word “accountability” is an extremely important word, and it's one that gets used a lot by you.

First, when your plan comes out for short-term targets, greenhouse gas targets, when are you coming back to committee?

Second, is there a government plan to take toxics out of CEPA? Why would you want to create a new plan, a new bill, when we already have in place CEPA, which can clean up our air? Why would Canadians have to wait five more years for their air to get better?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Now we will go to Mr. Silva. If we can just get the three questions....

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

I will be very brief, Minister. Thank you for coming.

As the spokesperson for your government on environment and also as the chair of the UN's Conference of the Parties, does your government believe that climate change and global warming are the most important environmental issues facing our planet? A yes or no question.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

I think they are the most important environmental--

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Could we just get Mr. Harvey? Then we'll do all three at once.

[Luc Harvey, Conservative, Louis-Hébert, QC]

You said earlier that we spent about $100 million on international credit purchases or investments of all kinds and that we have no reports or results to justify these expenditures.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Now, Minister, if we could get all three answers, please....

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, accountability is very important to our government, which is why we will be introducing Canada's clean air act, which will bring a framework to making sure we can actually show progress to Canadians.

You mentioned CEPA, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, a very important piece of legislation in Canada, but it could be stronger. We need enforced powers for reporting, for auditing, to be able to show measurable results to Canadians, and that is what you'll see in Canada's clean air act.

To respond to Mr. Silva's question, yes, I agree from a global perspective that climate change is without a doubt the environmental issue that has brought the world together, and Canada is there participating on the world stage. But as I said as well, we need a strong domestic framework. The number one environmental concern of Canadians is air quality, and as I said, it's time to move forward with a national legislative framework to address both those issues, to address air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for all your questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Thank you.