Mr. Speaker, our party's environment critic, the member for Fundy—Royal, has been working assiduously on this file.
We believe that Motion No. 300 has provided some really good food for discussion and progress within this parliament about the very important issue of the environment and how the public and private sector can work together. The government can work with and engage Canadians in a very important dialogue to make progress in a concrete way, particularly relative to the environment, given our Kyoto commitments.
It is interesting that the previous speaker said he has no confidence in the federal government's ability basically to do anything. I must challenge the hon. member on that assertion. It is not necessarily the size of government. The size of government has been debated largely in the House and by Canadians, but we have to consider the role of government.
I would argue that the government does have a role, a leadership role, to play in the area of the environment. The benefits of a clean environment are not felt solely by individual Canadians nor by individual companies. There is a societal benefit to a clean environment. As such it is imperative that the government act decisively to work with the private sector to meet the obligations we have made in Kyoto.
Energy efficiency benefits all members of society. When the private sector engages in more energy efficient behaviour, we will see a lowering of operating costs for business and better workplace productivity. Productivity is an extraordinarily important issue. Our productivity has been lagging that of our trading partners over the past 20 years. This is one area, one opportunity Canada has to improve productivity in environmental areas.
This is a particularly important issue, given the degree to which the U.S. government and President Clinton and Vice-President Gore have engaged in a leadership role on the environment, on sustainable resource development and energy efficiency. Canada cannot stand back. We must take a more proactive role.
When the government engages in more energy efficient behaviour ultimately the taxpayers will save money. It will help us meet our international obligations, for instance those made at Kyoto. Over time, municipalities and provincial governments will be able to invest the money saved by more environmentally sound practices in things like community infrastructure, recreation and education.
The federal government particularly has a leadership role to play in this area. We have seen organizations such as Edmonton Power and the Canadian Homebuilders Association promote efficiency in new homes. This type of technology can be sold not just within Canada but globally.
We have the potential to improve the quality of life of Canadians and to reduce the damage to the environment by using greener sources of power. Ultimately less taxes will be paid by Canadians because energy efficiency will result in greater operating efficiency for government. In time there will be a better quality of life for all Canadians.
Frankly, it is unfortunate that the government is not actively pursuing these initiatives, as opposed to the opposition and my colleague from the New Democratic Party who has put this motion forward.
One thing concerns me relative to the commitment we have made in Kyoto. That is the lack of meaningful dialogue in Canada prior to those commitments being made. There was very little meaningful dialogue with the sub-national governments, the provincial governments and the municipalities. The level of dialogue with the private sector was not as extensive as it should have been.
It is very important that we are debating these issues now but it would have been far better had we debated them more thoroughly and diligently prior to going to Kyoto. Then our commitments made in Kyoto could have been based on sound research and consultation with Canadians.
Now after the fact we need initiatives like Motion No. 300 which brings to the forefront the important issues: jobs and energy. There is an inextricable link between energy efficiency and investments in energy efficiency augmentation and employment growth, particularly in the new economy in a global sense. Around the world countries will be seeking better approaches to energy efficiency and better approaches to some of the age old problems.
This is an opportunity for Canada not just to compete globally in this newly emerging sector, but to succeed globally. Young Canadians can pursue education in these areas and participate in what could be an exciting new growth industry where Canada could be a leader. We need leaders in Canada who recognize the potential of this extraordinary opportunity to contribute not only to a better quality of life for Canadians, but for a better quality of life for everyone on this planet.
We have a responsibility to this generation and future generations to protect the environment. We have been extremely fortunate. For far too long we have taken for granted our country, its tremendous potential, its natural resources and the relative purity of our environment.
Pursuing this type of initiative more actively would cause us to consider and improve every aspect of everything we do in our day to day lives to contribute to better energy efficiency and to a cleaner environment. Ultimately if we do this properly, there will be more jobs for Canadians.
I believe the Reform Party's position is that global warming is not a proven phenomenon and may not exist. We can ask a thousand doctors if smoking causes cancer and we might find one who says that it does not. The fact is the weight of evidence clearly indicates that global warming is a problem. When the weight of evidence is so overwhelmingly in support of global warming being a problem, it would be irresponsible for us not to act decisively.
This does not have to mean a loss of jobs. This does not have to mean, as some would assert, a loss of opportunities. It can mean more jobs, more opportunities, a cleaner environment, a better Canada and a better world. All of that is possible if we act decisively and we ensure that this House provides the leadership so that Canada can provide the kind of global leadership that the world needs on the environment.