House of Commons Hansard #87 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was change.
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, as Canadian environment ministers met in good faith in Montreal, the Prime Minister pulled the rug out from under them by announcing a new massive billion-dollar carbon tax grab on Canadians. Angry ministers walked out of the meeting, saying they had been betrayed and railroaded. Premier Brad Wall said that the disrespect by the Prime Minister was “stunning”.
Why is the Prime Minister betraying Canadians by ramming a carbon tax grab down their throats?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, for ten years, Canadians struggled because they had a government that not only did not protect the environment, but was not creating the kind of growth for the economy, the kind of clean jobs, that Canadians know the future depends on.
The leadership we have shown demonstrates that we understand that pricing carbon pollution right across the country is essential to creating a stronger economic future and a stronger environment for generations to come. That is the leadership we have shown that was sorely lacking from the other side of the aisle.
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday's betrayal of environment ministers generated a firestorm of anger. Yukon's Currie Dixon said, “The air was sucked out of the room.” Saskatchewan's Scott Moe said the tax grab was a “betrayal” and “not a good day for federal-provincial relations”. Newfoundland said it was “railroaded”. Nova Scotia said the Prime Minister “let the province down”.
Can the Prime Minister explain to Canadian families exactly how many more thousands of dollars they will pay in higher heating, electricity, and gasoline bills?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years, Canadians grew tired of a government that not only could not protect the environment but was not creating the kind of economic growth that Canadians needed.
That is why we are pleased to be working with the provinces to help them set up a system on pricing carbon pollution that will ensure their provinces flourish, that we create good jobs, and that we protect the environment for generations to come.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, last year's Liberal platform promised that a Liberal government would establish new national emissions reduction targets. That is at page 40.
It is not even 12 months since the election, and the Prime Minister broke that promise by endorsing Stephen Harper's old and woefully inadequate climate change targets. Yesterday, the Prime Minister unilaterally announced a plan that would not even achieve Stephen Harper's targets.
Here is a simple question for the Prime Minister. Does he deny anything that I just said?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we worked across the country to bring in a level of pricing on carbon pollution that is going to make a huge difference to growing the economy and creating jobs.
The fact is, Canadians know we need to build a strong economy and protect the environment together. Yesterday, we showed the leadership that had been sorely lacking in doing just that: creating both jobs and protecting the environment.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, so the answer was “no”.
The Liberals did not have a plan to comply with the Kyoto protocol when they signed it. The Prime Minister himself admitted it last week.
In 2008, Stephen Harper announced a carbon price of $65 per tonne for 2018. Does that remind hon. members of something? It is the Conservative-Liberal sham.
What will the Prime Minister tell the next generation when this betrayal has exacerbated climate change and threatened the future of the planet?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, once again there are some on the other side of the House who think that we are not going far enough, and there are others who think we are going too far. The reality is that Canadians expect us to protect the environment and build a flourishing economy for all at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing with this plan to price carbon pollution.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, he is not doing one or the other.
This summer, I wrote to the Minister of Natural Resources, asking him to look into nuclear safety concerns. He not only refused, but he passed the buck to the CNSC president, who actually made jokes about these serious safety issues.
Today the environment commissioner released a report that highlights critical problems with nuclear safety in Canada.
Would the Prime Minister explain his minister's inaction on this file, and would he explain his support for a CNSC president who thinks this is all a laughing matter?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that this government takes very seriously the question of nuclear safety and security. That is why we welcome the report from the commissioner.
We will continue to work to ensure that Canada has the highest standards on nuclear safety and security. That is what Canadians expect.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, the real question is, why has he done nothing since this summer?
Most Canadians oppose selling arms to countries that violate human rights. Will the Prime Minister support our motion to improve oversight of Canada's arms exports?
Canadians do not want our country selling arms to human rights abusers.
Why is the Prime Minister opposing more oversight for the sale of arms internationally? Why will the Prime Minister not just say yes?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, like we promised during the campaign and leading up to it, we are saying yes to signing on to the Arms Trade Treaty. It is important that Canada, after being a laggard for too long on this issue, shows what Canadians and the world expect of it in terms of leadership.
We have also made firm commitments to increasing the openness and transparency around arms sales around the world from Canada. This is what Canadians expect. This is what we will deliver.
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have declared all-out war on struggling rural families. A carbon tax will punish rural areas and farm families. This new tax will drive up the price of fuel. It will drive up the price of fertilizer. It will drive up the price of transportation for agriculture.
Why are the Liberals so determined to target rural people and agriculture with their climate taxation fixation?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers are responsible stewards of the land, and our government has stood, and will continue to stand, with them.
We have constantly stood up for Canadian farm families, which have seen success. We will continue to work with farmers and ranchers to be sure they remain competitive. We will continue to improve the environmental gains that have already been made.
David Anderson Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Speaker, agriculture producers are already leaders in environmental stewardship. We know that. The machinery they buy already costs tens of thousands of dollars more because of changing emissions standards. A carbon tax would only add more devastating costs to their families.
Why are the Liberals punishing agriculture when farmers have already been addressing these emissions issues for years?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the leadership of our government yesterday in taking real concrete action to tackle climate change and grow our economy. It is interesting. We should recall it was the Conservatives in their 2008 platform and speech from the throne who committed to implementing a price on carbon pollution through a cap-and-trade system. The environment minister at the time said, “Carbon trading and the establishment of a market price on carbon are key parts of our Turning the Corner plan...”.
After a decade of failure by the Harper government in meeting its commitments to Canadians, I guess the only Conservative plan now is to cap all the things they have said and trade it for no plan at all.
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is sad to see that this Liberal government is taking the path of least resistance and forcing Canadians to pay even more taxes because of its lack of courage.
Our party acted responsibly and reduced Canada's share of global emissions by over 15%. We did that without sticking taxpayers with the bill. That is a fact. I am asking the Prime Minister to reconsider.
Why is this government choosing the path of least resistance and taking money out of the pockets of Canadian families?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the leadership we are demonstrating with the provinces and territories to address climate change and grow our economy.
Yesterday, Premier Couillard welcomed Ottawa's decision. He said, “The announcement recognizes the autonomy of the provinces and the flexibility of the federation and makes it possible for different systems to be used”.
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Liberal government announced in the House that it was going to make Canadians pay even more taxes. It is using the Paris agreement as an excuse to force the provinces and territories to implement a carbon tax.
The Prime Minister mentioned that he did not need Parliament to ratify the agreement. He also said that he was going to force the provinces and territories to comply.
Will the Prime Minister show some respect for Parliament and provincial and territorial jurisdictions and stop taking money out of the pockets of Canadian families?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the leadership that Canada is demonstrating with the provinces and territories.
I am quite surprised that the Conservatives, who believe in the markets, do not understand that it is a market-based system that is going to help us grow our economy and advance. However, maybe the Conservatives wanted to listen to job creators.
Suncor Energy said in a statement after our announcement, “...we support a broad-based price on carbon as an important tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...”.
The president of Shell Canada said, “...balancing Canadian economic development while protecting the environment will be enabled by a reasonable price on carbon...”.
The Canadian Wind Energy Association stated that a carbon—
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Order, please. I am having a much easier time hearing the questions than I am the answers. I ask members to come to order.
The hon. member for Lakeland.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that the Liberal carbon tax will take thousands of dollars every year out of the pockets of Canadian families. However, even supporters of the carbon tax say that the tax would have to be astronomically higher to have any impact on global emissions.
Why will the Liberals not admit that their carbon tax has nothing to do with environmental stewardship, and everything to do with filling government coffers for their reckless spending?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, let me be 100% clear, because unfortunately the party opposite does not understand.
We understand that we need to put a price on emissions. We have two ways to do this. We can do it through a direct price, or we can do it through a cap-and-trade system. We have 80% of Canadians who already live in a jurisdiction where there is a price on carbon. It is up to the provinces to decide which way they want to do it and what they would like to do with the revenues. They can give it back as a tax cut to consumers in their province or to businesses.
However, this is the way forward. The government is taking leadership because that is what Canadians expect.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, this new carbon tax will disproportionately hurt people living in rural and northern communities in Canada. This new tax will disproportionately hurt low-income Canadians, especially those living on fixed incomes, like seniors.
Why can the Prime Minister not recognize that punishing the most vulnerable Canadians with higher gasoline, electricity and heating bills is not fair and will not actually achieve anything except more hardship?