Environment Committee on Feb. 27th, 2024

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

I didn't say you. I said the Liberals.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Go through the chair, please.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

So I would encourage the Liberals, NDP and Bloc to condemn this radical environment minister, stop his attack on rural Canada and support our motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Go ahead, Mr. van Koeverden.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Debate is important, and I welcome debate, but what the Conservatives have consistently done on this committee is use their time and their questions to distract from what we're doing, which is a study on fresh water. It's incredibly disrespectful to the people who have taken time out of their day. These are researchers, advocates, chiefs of nations.

They don't care. They would prefer to push their agenda—

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Just call it.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

—to talk over top of me and to push their agenda based on misconceptions and misinformation—

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

[Inaudible—Editor]

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Mr. Mazier—

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

—and taking people's words completely out of context.

As for Mr. Leslie reading my tweet, that was about one highway project in Ontario called the 413, which I stand against.

It was. You didn't read the whole tweet, Mr. Leslie.

Secondly, the minister's quote was specific to the third link in Quebec City. My colleague Mr. Deltell knows about it intimately. He knows exactly what I'm talking about. Our government has invested in 10,833 roadways over the last seven and a half years. This federal investment represents more than $4.5 billion.

The reason we had to spend so much money is that during the Harper years, there was a massive infrastructure deficit. The Conservatives didn't invest in things like that. We've redoubled it. We've doubled down on investing in community infrastructure through the Canadian community-building fund and through the gas tax. We are building Canada. More infrastructure has been built in the last eight years than in the nine years that Harper was in power.

Have a look at the numbers, have a look at the details, and please, stop taking quotes out of context, because it's completely absurd.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I hope it's a point of order.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Does the member plan on shutting down debate?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Well, that's.... I don't know.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

It's not a point of order, and I spoke for less than half the amount of time that you did.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It's not a point of order.

Mr. Mazier, when you had the floor, I recognized that you would have all the time that you would want.

Mr. van Koeverden, continue, please.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

This is a ridiculous motion. This is taking quotes that I've made and that the minister has made completely out of context, and referring to specific projects. As MPs, we're supposed to be supportive or not supportive of specific projects.

No, I'm not going to shut down debate on it. I'm just going to vote against it, proudly, because you keep using words like “radical” to describe our minister. I'm proud of our minister for being an environmentalist.

Those four won't even say “climate change” in this committee. They won't acknowledge the impacts of climate change.

So yes, I'm proud to vote against this ridiculous motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Have you called the vote?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

No. My colleague from the NDP has her hand up, and I'm sure she'd like to speak to it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

You're right.

Go ahead, Ms. Collins.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I just want to urge the committee to get through this as quickly as possible. Let's honour the time of the witnesses who are here.

I won't say any more, but this feels really disrespectful.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Nobody has called for a vote.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

You can't really call for a vote. Debate has to collapse.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Well, there's nobody left.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Let's vote.

(Motion negatived: nays 7; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])