Mr. Speaker, earlier this afternoon a previous speaker talked about the importance of global solutions and global leadership. I would like to cite a couple of very specific examples that a good number of my constituents and, I would ultimately argue, all Canadians can sympathize with.
When I think of global solutions and leadership and look at what is happening around the world, there are a couple of examples that come to my mind offhand. Members will be familiar with the story of the Canadian garbage that was sent to the Philippines. That is something that occurred a number of years ago, when Stephen Harper was the prime minister. At that time, the approach was to see if it could be resolved. The garbage would stay in the Philippines, but they would try to work it out.
It then went through a court process, which was fairly exhausting. It has literally taken years to get it to where it is today. There was then a proclamation by President Duterte of the Philippines, one I thought was quite fitting given the importance of our environment. He made the very powerful statement that this garbage from Canada needed to go back to Canada. When the president became engaged, it raised the profile of the issue. As a government, we have responded to that call for action. We believe those 69 containers of garbage should be here in Canada, and we will work to facilitate that.
When we talk about the issue of global solutions and global leadership, it means recognizing the important role Canada has to play, as well as the importance of the way Canada is perceived around the world. The perception of Canada was not positive when there was Canadian garbage in a place it ought not to have been. I am glad we are working the issue through and that those 69 containers will be coming back to Canada.
When we think of leadership, we need to look around at what the world is actually saying. We can see that from the Paris conference. When the Liberals were first elected back in 2015, the Prime Minister, the environment minister and many different provincial governments participated in that Paris climate change conference. One of the leading recommendations back then was to put a price on pollution. That is something that is tangible and real, and that will have an impact in the world, with more and more countries recognizing the value of doing so.
It did not take long for Canada and this current Prime Minister to put into action the ideas that were flowing from there and the ideas that were being talked about during the last federal election. We know how important it is, because we are being told and reminded by Canadians on a daily basis that they want to see action on the environment.
We worked with the different provinces and came up with a formula. We came up with what we believe was a good national program to ensure that it would not be only half the provinces that would have something in place for a price on pollution, but that there would be an obligation for all provinces and territories in Canada to have a price on pollution. We even afforded those provinces that did not have something in place a window of time to put something into place, believing that at the end of the day, like the national government, those local governments would be listening to what the citizens want and expect of government.
Let there be no doubt that Canadians, no matter which region in this beautiful country they are from, support the need for government to take action. I believe the action this government has taken, not just on the price on pollution, although I will focus my attention on that for now, is something Canadians accept.
It is interesting how the politics are ramped up and how much misinformation is out there in the community. The price on pollution will actually be a financial benefit for the residents I represent in Winnipeg North. When the Conservatives spread misinformation on this issue, I would refer Canadians to the independent Parliamentary Budget Office. It is truly independent. There is no partisanship in that office. It is well respected, not only within Canada in terms of the issues it enunciates on, but even beyond our borders. It is genuinely seen as independent.
That office makes it very clear that 80% of Canadians will benefit financially by the climate action incentive. I would suggest that a vast majority of the residents in Winnipeg North will be further ahead financially. Putting the price on pollution is something that is needed today.
Some provinces have it and other provinces do not. Some provinces have set it higher than other provinces, and so forth. From a national perspective we are saying that all provinces and territories need to get engaged on this very important file, and that for provinces that choose not to, there will be a national program.
When members say it is a cash grab, that is absolute, total hogwash. The monies being generated are going back to the provinces with the national program, and 80% of my constituents are going to get a net benefit. It is going right back into their pockets. However, the heavier users, the ones who are causing the larger issue of pollution in our environment, are going to be paying more.
The Government of Canada is not making money from this. We are ensuring that there is a price on pollution in every region of our country, because not all provinces have implemented it. The Conservatives talk a lot about the province of British Columbia and the price of gas. The national program from Ottawa is not being applied in the province of B.C., yet that province is the focus of 85% of the criticisms that are being levelled at this government. When we question members on that issue, they say to get rid of the government in Ottawa and then they will get rid of any other progressive governments in the provinces. Are they going to penalize provinces that are doing good for Canada's environment?
The old Progressive Conservative Party of Brian Mulroney and members of the previous Conservative government of Stephen Harper advocated for a price on pollution, but we are seeing Doug Ford's influence within the national Conservative caucus today. Canadians should be concerned that Doug Ford seems to have more influence in the Conservative caucus in Ottawa than their own leader.
Canadians should be concerned about that. Take a look at what is taking place in the province of Ontario and the backward stepping in terms of the environment. It is being put onto the back burner.
For over a year, Conservatives have being saying they have a plan and will share it with Canadians in due course. That was over a year ago. The days, weeks and months have gone by, even though the environment is an important issue to Canadians. The Conservative Party continues to ignore this very important issue. Rather, the Conservatives choose to take a look at one aspect of our plan and be critical of it. They spread misinformation about it, whether in emails, interviews or words inside this chamber. They have no qualms about misinforming Canadians.
The price on pollution is a good, solid social policy that has been accepted in most provinces and territories, because they have their own. It has been accepted in other countries around the world, and some, even some American states, are working towards it. It seems to me that it is Doug Ford and the Conservative Party here that are so focused on spreading that misinformation, and I find that to be a great disservice.
I said the price on pollution was one aspect. It is one part of some of the things we have been doing. However, the government has been criticized because of the Loblaws issue.