Environment Committee on June 4th, 2013

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Yes, but—

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

No, Madame Quach, I've asked you to respect—

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

We respect the provinces.

The subject of carbon pricing is a very broad spectrum but our position on carbon taxes is informed by the European carbon market, which last year almost collapsed entirely. It's down around three euros a tonne. The billions of dollars that have been invested in it have depreciated, so we are not—

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

So, how much does the sectoral plan cost?

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

We are going to move to Mr. Storseth, Madame Quach.

Mr. Storseth.

[An hon. member]

Point of order.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you very much.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Chair, a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

I've repeatedly asked for permission for the minister to respond to the question and you are—

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

The minister is not answering my question. That is why I asked it again.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Perhaps you should ask the minister to answer the question.

Does Madame Quach still have time left?

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

He is answering the question.

Mr. Storseth.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Chair—

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Mr. Choquette.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Chair, despite all the admiration I have for the position you occupy, I think it is essential that we understand the situation we are in today. We have asked questions repeatedly, but unfortunately, the topic is being avoided. We have very little time with the minister. As you know, we only have an hour to spend with him. We would have liked to have two. Had that been the case, we could have had a second question period, and asked our questions again and taken the time to hear all of the minister's points.

Since we have very little time, we want to obtain answers to the questions we raise. If I talk about the cost of the sectoral approach and the minister starts to talk to me about the exchange in Europe, he is not answering my question. Since we are very pressed for time, my colleague took the liberty of repeating her question.

Mr. Chair, I think that your decision to deprive my colleague of the speaking time she had left should be reconsidered. I think that she has the right to have the two minutes she had left. And so I humbly ask you, Mr. Chair, how many minutes my colleague had left, and if she had any left, why you decided to withdraw it from her and give it to someone else, who is, as it happens, a Conservative member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you, Mr. Choquette.

If we had followed my direction, we would now be halfway through the Conservative members, and the NDP members would actually have had an extra question.

You were going to finish the round today. You've ceded that time. I'm going to move to Mr. Storseth at this point.

Thank you.

Mr. Storseth.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I apologize, Mr. Chair, but you did not answer my question. I have a lot of admiration for you, but I simply asked you how much time my colleague Anne Minh-Thu Quach had left. Could you answer me, please?

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

She had one minute and thirty-four seconds.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Chair, a point of order.

I challenge the chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

The chair has been challenged.

Would all those upholding the ruling of the chair please indicate that.

All those opposed.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Chair, I request a recorded vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

The motion is non-debatable.

(Ruling of the chair sustained [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Mr. Storseth, please.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to actually set the record straight not on what just happened, but what happened prior to that.

The oil and gas sector faces the exact same general corporate income tax rates as all other sectors of the economy. While some like to demonize the oil and gas sector, the fact of the matter is it is one of the key clogs in our economy. As was mentioned earlier today, we're talking about an economy that's had 6.5% growth over the last six or seven years. At the same time, Minister, under your leadership and other ministers under Prime Minister Harper, we've also seen a 6.5% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. I think that's something we need to talk about more. As we talk about what's going on abroad, it's something we should be very proud of as a country and as a people.

Minister, I'd like you to talk a little bit about the sector-by-sector regulatory approach this government has taken to help meet these objectives and at the same time to help industry in our country meet these objectives by creating certainty and real results.