No.
Evidence of meeting #151 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pricing.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #151 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pricing.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
No.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
In that case, why did you hire a campaign manager who said exactly that—that climate change is nothing more than a media conspiracy?
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
I've never hired a campaign manager. We had volunteers working in my leadership campaign, and I don't know everything that all of them ever said.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
So you definitely don't agree that climate change is a media conspiracy or hysteria?
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
I definitely already answered that question with a clear no.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Then why did you also say that there's a legitimate range of perspectives around the role of humans in climate change? Are you saying there's merit to the argument or the question about whether human activity is the cause of climate change?
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
No.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Then why do you say these things? Do you say these things just for political attention? Why do you say them, if you don't think they're true? How do I know that what you're saying here today is true if you say one thing and deny it later?
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
Mr. Chair, the member quoted me, and then asked a different question. I stand by what I said. There is a debate about the precise degree to which there are anthropogenic causes behind climate change, but I agree with the scientific consensus that there are very significant anthropogenic causes of climate change. I've already addressed that clearly.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
I have to tell you I'm really happy to hear you say that here today, except that you keep contradicting yourself on Twitter or in speeches to your base. You have also said that there is no connection between large-scale weather events and broader climate change issues.
Do you think there's a link or not?
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
Mr. Chair, on these questions generally I defer to expert opinion.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Then why are you speaking about them in public in this manner? Should we believe you now, or should we believe the Jason Kenney of Twitter?
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
Mr. Chair, I've always been consistent. I accept the broad scientific consensus on these environmental questions. The economic consensus is that if you want to achieve Paris climate targets, you need a carbon tax of at least $300 a tonne. Canadians don't support—
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
I am trying to be very brief with my answers, Mr. Chair.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
4:30 p.m.
P.C., MLA, Leader of the Official Opposition of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, As an Individual
I'm offering very direct “yes” and “no” answers, instead of trying to rag the puck.
Mr. Chair, what I'm trying to articulate here is that I agree with the majority of Canadians that punishing people for simply living normal lives, for driving to work, filling up their gas tanks, heating their homes, running their small businesses and non-profits, is not justifiable. It is not an effective environmental strategy.
I wish the proponents of these taxes, around this table and on the government side, would be honest and forthcoming and have the courage of their convictions and admit that what they want is a carbon tax in the range of $300 a tonne, which would have a massive effect on people's disposable incomes and the cost of living.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
4:30 p.m.
Vice-Chair of the Board, Climate Action Network Canada
We published a report that showed that Canada could reach its climate commitment. It would require a number of different policies, including a rising carbon price that would reach somewhere in the neighbourhood of $90 a tonne by 2030. It also involved other policies, of course.
We came clean with it by publishing it. Of course, we are going to have to continue to implement policies with the greatest rigour and urgency in order to reduce emissions. That is the study I cited before, which showed that the Canadian economy would grow by at least 38% between now and 2030 with those policies in place.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Kenney, your MLA, Angela Pitt, wrote in an email, “Climate changes all the time. Co2 has very little impact on temperature changes. The science has changed on this topic many times.”
Now, Mr. Kenney, you're here and you're acknowledging that climate change is real, which I'm very pleased to hear you say, but when the voices that make up your party are indifferent to and in denial of science, how can Canadians expect that you're a credible voice to grow the economy and protect the environment?
