Mr. Speaker, I find my colleague's comments to be completely mind-boggling.
My colleague said that there is a cost to inaction, but it also costs money to do things right. When the Conservatives were in office, they did practically nothing for the environment or to fight climate change. There are even some Conservative MPs who refuse to admit that global warming is real and that we must take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Thousands of scientists who are part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, are saying that we need to reduce our carbon footprint in order to reduce our ecological impact. They support carbon pricing.
As Gérald Fillion, a Radio-Canada journalist who specializes in economic affairs, said, and I quote:
In principle, carbon pricing should generate extra revenue for the government, create changes in consumer behaviour, and encourage smart investments to promote sustainable development. Carbon pricing is a long-term commitment, and its short-term repercussions should not stop us from thinking about future generations.
We must therefore look beyond today or tomorrow and instead focus on the future, so that we are able to leave future generations a planet that is healthy from an economic, environmental, and public health perspective. We need to make investments, but these will result in economic spinoffs. Some companies have understood that and are already developing green innovations. They are able to create jobs and make a profit.