Debates of May 12th, 2016

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. member for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek is not present to raise the matter for which adjournment notice has been given. Accordingly, the notice is being withdrawn.

The hon. member for Saskatoon—Grasswood.

Natural Resources

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Mr. Speaker, on February 19, I asked this question to the government: why do the Liberals insist on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment line?

That has been the case. For my province of Saskatchewan, the first quarter has been the worst quarter it has had in the last 10 years. We have sent far too many people to the EI lines. Then, as we talked about the carbon tax in the House in the first 100 days of the current government, the Liberals have flown to Paris, they have talked in Brussels, and they tried to have a group hug in Vancouver.

Thankfully, my premier, Brad Wall of Saskatchewan, withstood the pressure of joining the carbon tax in this country, and he made a great statement. It was great in the fact that when he went to Vancouver he was the only one who would not join the carbon tax parade, and when he left we found that New Brunswick and the territories had also joined Saskatchewan in its quest of slowing down this process by the new government.

We can collect carbon tax money and in this case it will pay EI. That does not accomplish anything.

In my province of Saskatchewan, people are hard-working. They want to support their families. Right now, as members know, in our province and in the oil and gas sector in Alberta, along with Newfoundland and Labrador, we have had a downturn in the economy. I will admit that there may be a time that a carbon tax should be implemented some day in this country. However, I would say now is not the time.

We have seen, as I mentioned, record unemployment in Saskatchewan. When I talk to Saskatchewan and Saskatoon—Grasswood constituents, they tell me that they simply want to work. I know EI was promised in some portions, in fact region 42 of Saskatchewan. That maybe helped Saskatoon and northern Saskatchewan but it did not help the oil and gas sector workers in south Saskatchewan and in particular Edmonton.

We all know right now the industry is suffering. Lay-offs are plentiful. It has happened in Alberta. We have seen tens of thousands of people laid off in that province in the last year. It has unfortunately come to my province of Saskatchewan.

I will just give members a little anecdote. On May 20, I am going to be in Lloydminster emceeing the RBC Cup. Lloydminster, on the Saskatchewan and Alberta border, once had a population of 32,000. When I visited that community a month ago, the population was down to just over 25,000 people. That is a loss of 7,000 people. It has decimated that community. I saw it first hand. The oil trucks are sitting in every parking lot in that community. Unfortunately, that is not what we want in this country. I saw houses that are empty. I saw trucks that were left abandoned at airports. When we lose 7,000 people in a community of 32,000 over the last year, we know we have an issue.

What would a carbon tax do for Lloydminster? I have already said it has lost 7,000 people in the last year.

Saskatchewan businesses are not looking for a handout. We found that out with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce when representatives visited the Hill early this year. They were simply asking to let businesses do business and let government get out of the way. They have enough roadblocks in their industry right now. Saskatchewan does want to be competitive and that does not include a carbon tax.

When are the Liberals going to reverse their job-killing tax hikes? That has been the big question in the House, as they need to know that they have to stop the carbon tax for now.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by noting that I was in Saskatchewan last week for meetings with the Government of Saskatchewan and with provincial officials.

I grew up and went to university in Saskatchewan, and for a time, I worked for the provincial government there.

With regard to carbon emissions, Canadians know that reducing emissions will make our economy more competitive, not less. Our government knows that growing the economy and protecting the environment go hand in hand.

Combatting climate change is a moral imperative to ensure that we leave to our children and grandchildren a planet that can sustain a prosperous and peaceful existence.

Climate change also represents an enormous economic opportunity, one that many other countries are already taking advantage of.

The growth rate of the global clean tech sector over the past several years has been in excess of 10% per year. However, Canada's share of the clean tech market has fallen considerably due to the decade of inaction and obfuscation under the previous federal government. To create jobs in industries of the future, our government will make investments into green innovation, clean technology, and sustainable infrastructure.

In addition to growing a vibrant clean tech sector, experts agree that carbon pricing is the most efficient and least expensive way of achieving emissions reductions. Already some 80% of Canadians will soon live in jurisdictions with a price on carbon. Energy companies in western Canada have acknowledged this, and many already use a price on carbon in their investment decisions. For example, Suncor CEO Steve Williams recently said, “We think a broad-based carbon price is the right answer.”

Carbon pricing policies help to minimize the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They provide a continuous incentive for technological innovation and transition to a low-carbon economy. They achieve significant emissions reductions. They provide consumers and industry with certainty and flexibility. This is particularly important in western Canada, where energy-producing firms are looking to government to provide them with a clear framework.

Our government is providing national leadership by working with the provinces and territories to take action on climate change, including putting a price on carbon. We strongly believe in the power of market-based solutions, such as carbon pricing, to deliver meaningful results in reducing our emissions while growing our economy.

The momentum behind carbon pricing is now being echoed by thoughtful leaders around the country, including many prominent Conservatives. The leader of the Ontario Conservative Party recently stated, “Climate change is a fact. It is a threat. It is man-made.... We have to do something about it, and that something includes putting a price on carbon.”

Mark Cameron, a former policy adviser to prime minister Harper, also underlined the power of carbon pricing in a free market, saying, “As most free-market economists recognize, the most effective way to reduce emissions is to price them...”.

I would also note that the newly elected Progressive Conservative government in Manitoba understands this, saying in its election platform that it supports carbon pricing that fosters emissions reductions, keeps investment capital here, and stimulates new innovation in clean energy, businesses, and jobs.

Implementing an effective climate change strategy, including carbon pricing, will assist in reducing GHG emissions and will also put Canada and Canadian companies at the forefront of the global clean growth economy.

I would invite the hon. member opposite to join with job creators and with thoughtful Conservatives in Canada in endorsing carbon pricing as a useful and important mechanism in addressing the critical issue of climate change.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we go to resuming debate, I would remind the hon. parliamentary secretary that our debate rules for adjournment proceedings are the same as in other debates in the House and we refrain from using the proper names of other hon. members, in this case the right hon. member for Calgary Heritage. Even if it is in a quote, we would avoid doing that. It is just a casual reminder.

The hon. member for Saskatoon—Grasswood.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Mr. Speaker, a carbon tax is a crippling tax. I come from a region that is devastated. We need hope in this country. There may be sunny ways on that side of the House, but I can say that from where I stand, and in Saskatoon—Grasswood, and Saskatchewan in general, when I go to Lloydminster, I look across to Alberta, and especially now in Fort McMurray where we are not up to snuff with production right now. Carbon pricing and a carbon tax has to be delayed in this country. I stand firmly by that thought. There may be a time, but now is not the time. We do not need a carbon tax right now and put it into EI. That is simply what has happened in my province. It is what has happened in Alberta, what has happened in Newfoundland, and what has happened in New Brunswick.

When will the Liberals, and their plan to help Canadians get to their jobs, reconsider the job-killing tax hikes that they have brought in in the first 100 days of being in office?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I will say a couple of things for the hon. member. First, there actually has not been any carbon tax imposed by the federal government in the first 100 days. Second, I would be happy to sit down and have a conversation with him about different mechanisms by which carbon pricing can be implemented.

I come from a province that has had a carbon tax. It was implemented by the government there several years ago. It is a revenue neutral carbon tax. The tax that is raised through carbon pricing is returned through income tax cuts. Therefore, there is no additional tax burden on consumers.

It is clear that the failed approached of the previous government, which did its best to ignore climate change, did not work for the Canadian economy, and it did not work for the environment.

This government has a plan to address climate change, including carbon pricing, and to generate economic growth and opportunity concurrent with that through the investments and acceleration of clean tech development in Canada. It is a plan of which Canadians are supportive. It is a plan that speaks to the prospects of our future generation. It is something that we, as a government, are very proud to do.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 6:27 p.m.)