Mr. Speaker, I see at least one Conservative member applauding the criticism that the government has been receiving.
However, members should know that the low-carbon economy challenge fund, which was $450 million, was established by this government. It supports and funds actions by provinces, territories, municipalities, indigenous communities, businesses and non-profit organizations all over the country. It is a challenge to come up with ideas that will make a difference on the environment.
There were 54 successful proposals selected, but opposition members singled out only one of those examples, the Loblaws example, in which the Government of Canada is contributing 25% of a $48-million project. This will have a huge impact on the refrigeration industry here in Canada, on the manufacturers and the IT people in Mississauga, where jobs are going to be created. More importantly, there is the actual impact of saying yes to this proposal, the direct result of which is equivalent to taking 50,000 vehicles off Canadian roads annually. This is equivalent to all the vehicles in the city of Brandon, which happens to be Manitoba's second-largest city.
However, the Conservatives and NDP are saying, “Heaven forbid that we work with the private sector.” They take it to the extreme and say that the company is owned by a billionaire or a multimillionaire, so we should not have given that support and possibly the company should not have been eligible.
It seems to me that those members are being selective. Are they trying to say that the Government of Canada should not work with the private sector, that we should not promote, encourage and at times provide the incentives that are necessary to have an impact? Are they going to exclude the private sector? Is that really part of the policy that the Conservatives will come out with?
Some day, hopefully before October 21, we will hear something regarding the Conservatives' environmental plan. Are they dropping a hint by saying on this particular policy that the government has no role working with the private sector and should not be investing public tax dollars in the private sector at all?
Is that really going to be the official opposition's plan going forward?
By the process of elimination, maybe we can narrow it down. We know the Conservatives do not support a price on pollution. They think pollution should be free. I am now beginning to believe that they do not believe government should actually work with the private sector on it.
The Conservative Party is selling Canadians short. Our constituents are saying that there are initiatives we could do as a government that would have a positive impact and a positive outcome: the price on pollution, programs like the ones I just listed, working with different non-profits, governments and the private sector. Those types of initiatives can make a tangible difference.
The Conservatives are critical. It is always interesting to contrast how we are criticized by the New Democrats with how we are criticized by the Conservatives when it comes to pipelines.
For many years, I sat in opposition. I hope to spend just as many years on the government side as I did on the opposition benches. When I was in opposition, Stephen Harper never built one pipeline that went to our coast so we could sell our commodity to different markets. When Stephen Harper first became prime minister, 99% of our product went to the United States. Fast-forward 10 years, and it is still 99%.
One of the reasons why Alberta's oil industry has been hit as hard as it has been over the last couple of years is that Stephen Harper did not get it right. Stephen Harper did not work with indigenous people. He was not sensitive to the needs of the environment. Our courts have clearly demonstrated that to be the case. Members can contrast that with what we have been able to accomplish.
The Conservatives criticize us because of the pipeline purchase. We made a solid commitment to do what we can to move things forward on the issue. We cannot do any worse than Stephen Harper. We just need to look at what he accomplished on that particular file in his 10 years in government. I have no problem with that comparison.
In today's motion, the Conservatives say it is taxes. Again, I would challenge that.
Let us talk about Winnipeg North. With the price on pollution, according to the independent office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, 80% or more of my constituents are going to be further ahead financially.
My constituents are also going to be further ahead because our government gave a tax break to Canada's middle class. The Conservatives voted against that.
My constituents are going to be further ahead because our government instituted a Canada child benefit program that is bumping over $9 million a month into Winnipeg North alone.
My constituents are going to be further ahead because our government upped the amount of money, in the neighbourhood of up to $900 a year, going to the poorest seniors in our country, many of whom live in Winnipeg North.
The opposition says that our government needs to give more of a break to Canadians. Time and time again, through budgets and through legislation, that is exactly what we have done and what we will continue to do going forward into the next election.
I eagerly await the comparison between the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party because of our record.