Evidence of meeting #140 for Natural Resources in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was project.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
I get the last questions of the Parliament. Okay.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
On Monday we passed a motion here in the House of Commons to declare that we are in a climate crisis, a climate emergency. The IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says that we have to act immediately, right now, to tackle climate change.
You talked about spending the profits of this pipeline, $500 million a year, on green initiatives. We've spent $4.5 billion buying this pipeline. That's where the profits of that pipeline went. They went to Texas when we bought that pipeline. Now we're going to spend another $10 billion building it over the next two years. That's about $15 billion we could invest right now in fighting climate change, instead of spending all that money and then waiting two years and then dribbling it out over the next 10, 20 or 30 years. We have to do this now.
I just wonder what sort of economics you are using to try to spin this as a win for climate change. It's just Orwellian.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Amarjeet Sohi Liberal Edmonton Mill Woods, AB
Through you, Mr. Chair, we are investing today. We are investing $28 billion in public transit over the next 10 years, and that started in 2016.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Amarjeet Sohi Liberal Edmonton Mill Woods, AB
We are investing $9 billion in green infrastructure, also starting in 2016. We have put a price on pollution that is actually reducing emissions; you have seen that in British Columbia. We are bringing in better fuel standards.
I was in my province supporting a solar farm, where two-cycled capturing of energy is tested. We were in my province a couple of months ago, where we are investing in geothermal energy. If that demonstration is commercialized, it will create 50,000 jobs in Alberta. We are doing all those things. We want to accelerate that by investing this additional revenue.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Thank you, Mr. Cannings.
Minister, thank you. You get the last word.
Thank you all again.
Minister, I appreciate your making the effort to accommodate us today. Your schedule has been tight, to say the least. We wish you a safe journey back home.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
You've always been very gracious in accommodating us and coming to the committee too, so thank you for that.
5:05 p.m.
A voice
And thank you for sparing us for tomorrow morning.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Yes, thank you for sparing us for tomorrow morning. There's ending on a high note.
Thank you, everybody. We will see you when we see you. Good luck to all.
Let me just say again that it's been a real honour to do this. Thank you.
5:05 p.m.
Some hon. members
Hear, hear!