Debates of Sept. 22nd, 2014

The Environment

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken decisive action. Our priority, as opposed to the NDP's, is to protect the environment while keeping the economy strong. We are taking a sector-by-sector regulatory approach to reducing gas emissions that is working.

In fact, about an hour ago, the Minister of the Environment announced at the UN climate summit in New York that our government is moving ahead with three new regulatory initiatives that will lower air pollution emissions from cars and trucks. This will help us further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide cleaner air for Canadians.

Thanks to our actions, we have seen significant reductions in greenhouses gases, without imposing a job-killing NDP carbon tax.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

So decisive, Mr. Speaker, that Canada is the only country in the world to have withdrawn from the Kyoto Protocol.

It is important to remember that because of the Prime Minister, Canada is the only country in the world to have withdrawn from the Kyoto Protocol. Let it be noted that the Conservative backbenchers are applauding. That is shameful.

Do the Conservatives believe that everyone has the right to live in a clean environment respectful of biodiversity, yes or no?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government is making progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while keeping the economy strong. We have taken action on some of Canada's largest sources of emissions, such as the transportation sector and the coal-fired electricity sector. Canada's stringent regulations are expected to cut emissions in the electricity sector by 46% by 2013 compared to levels in 2005.

Thanks to these actions, carbon emissions will go down close to 130 megatonnes from what they would have been under the Liberals. We have done it without a $21-billion carbon tax.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, so the Conservatives say, of course, Canadians have a right to live in a clean environment respectful of biodiversity, which is exactly what I had enshrined in the Quebec charter of rights when I was the Quebec environment minister.

Since the--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. Leader of the Opposition still has the floor.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since the Conservatives now acknowledge that Canadians have a right to clean air and clean water, will they support including that in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, when the Leader of the Opposition was a Liberal cabinet minister of the environment, did he actually have a smog day named after him?

Let us talk about some facts. Canada represents less than 2% of global emissions. To provide some perspective, the U.S. coal sector produces two times more emissions than the entire Canadian economy.

Our sector-by-sector regulatory approach allows us to protect both the environment and our economy. Canada has strengthened its position as a world leader in clean electricity generation by becoming the first major coal user to ban construction of traditional coal-fired electrical generation units--

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Halifax.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, over 300,000 people took to the streets of New York to demand that something be done to combat climate change. People from across Canada participated in this demonstration.

As support for this cause grows, the Conservatives are refusing to take action and impose greenhouse gas emission reduction targets on the oil and gas sectors, which are the fastest-growing emissions sources. Why?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government is a world leader when it comes to addressing climate change, but more than that, we are continuing to work with the provinces on reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector. It is premature to comment further on any future regulations.

Thanks to our actions, we have seen a significant reduction in greenhouse gases. Unlike the NDP, which thinks it can tax its way out of every problem, we are getting results without imposing a carbon tax.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow more than 125 world leaders will meet in New York to discuss a global solution to climate change. Our allies, including President Obama and David Cameron will be there, but our Prime Minister is skipping out. The Conservatives are so insistent on keeping their ideological blinders about climate change, that they are willing to miss out on important economic and diplomatic opportunities.

If we promise not to say, “We told you so”, will the Prime Minister do the right thing and go to the UN Climate Summit?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as we speak, the Minister of the Environment is in New York City this week representing Canada on a number of climate change matters.

Canada has and is taking significant efforts to curb climate change through a number of avenues, both domestic and international. Through our investments in clean energy and our sector-by-sector regulatory approach, we have seen our economy grow while emissions have gone down. This is historic.

This is unlike the Liberal government that increased greenhouse gas emissions by 130 megatonnes, and we are going to do it without an NDP carbon tax.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is the beginning of the UN Climate Summit.

Of all the world leaders invited, Vladimir Putin will not be attending, nor will Tony Abbott, the notorious climate change denier, nor will our own Prime Minister.

Perhaps he does not want to be reminded that he killed Kyoto, or that he is nowhere near meeting his Copenhagen targets. Instead, he sends his minister fully armed with rehashed Conservative talking points, to pick up our latest fossil of the year award.

Is photocopying American motor vehicle regulations now considered climate change leadership?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to contrast our approach to the Liberal approach.

I will talk about the Liberal approach first, because it is not going to take very long. What the Liberals did was they signed onto Kyoto without a plan to do anything. The only thing they were successful at was naming their former leader's dog Kyoto.

Our government record is clear. The economy is growing, and for the first time in Canadian history, greenhouse gas emissions are falling. Conservatives will continue to protect the environment while keeping our economy strong. We are accomplishing this without a job-killing carbon tax, which would raise the price of home heating oil—

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

The honourable member for Westmount—Ville-Marie.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the beginning of the UN climate summit. Of the world leaders who were invited, only four, including our Prime Minister, refused to attend. Perhaps he is embarrassed because he knows that he will not meet his own targets for 2020. Rather than going himself, he is sending his minister, no doubt so that she can pick up another Fossil of the Year award. How are Canada's environmental and economic interests served by the Prime Minister's absence?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government record is clear. The economy is growing, and for the first time in Canadian history, greenhouse gas emissions are falling.

The Conservatives will continue to protect the environment while keeping our economy strong. We are accomplishing this without a carbon tax, which would kill jobs and raise prices.

Employment Insurance

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' EI tax credit is getting slammed by economists ranging from Jack Mintz to Mike Moffatt.

Today's Globe and Mail says that it is:

...creating a perverse disincentive for small companies to grow.

It gives firms around $200 to hire someone, but over $2,200 to fire someone. The Liberals have a solution, use the money to give job creators an EI holiday for new jobs.

When will the Conservatives drop their failed scheme and adopt the Liberal plan that would actually reward job creation and growth?

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the Liberal leader and the Liberal Party have no idea how small business works.

Our small business job credit will lower EI payroll taxes by 15% and save small businesses $550 million. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said that the credit will help create 25,000 person-years of employment. While we are lowering taxes for 90% of businesses, the Liberals are still supporting a 45-day work year that would drastically increase premiums by 35%.

The Environment

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in New York City I joined hundreds of Canadians from Iqaluit to Vancouver to Halifax and hundreds of thousands of people from around the world in a peaceful, hopeful march, the People's Climate March. People from all over the world are calling for immediate action on climate change because there is no other planet, no planet B.

The world is ready to act and Canadians want Canada to play its part. Why are we not?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to tell the House today that our government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing clean air for Canadians for today and future generations. I am pleased to let the House know that the minister today announced three new regulatory initiatives on cars and fuels, which align with the United States. Those include establishing more stringent greenhouse emission standards for Canadian vehicles, 2017 and beyond. We also announced our intent to further regulate emissions for post-2018 model-year heavy-duty vehicles and engines. It takes a Conservative government to reduce—

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Drummond.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, just because the government makes the same announcement every two years does not mean that it is doing twice as much.

The international community is trying to create the right circumstances for a new climate change treaty, but the Conservatives continue to sabotage those efforts. They failed to put regulations in place to limit emissions in the oil and gas sector. What is worse, they will not even try to do so. They put an end to the committee's work.

We are trying to combat climate change, so why are the Conservatives not making the oil companies do their part?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we can contrast our approach with the NDP's approach. The NDP's approach to the oil and gas sector is basically a carbon tax, and then shut it down. Our government is a world leader when it comes to addressing climate change. We are going to continue to work with the provinces on reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector, and it is premature to comment further on these future regulations.

Thanks to our actions, we have seen significant reductions in greenhouse gases. Like I said, we are working together with everyone involved, without taxing Canadians to death with a carbon tax, which the New Democrats want to do.