Debates of Feb. 6th, 2024

Carbon Pricing

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, what the member is saying is simply not true. Just before Christmas, we put out a study by Environment and Climate Change Canada that shows that carbon pricing will be responsible for between 20% and 30% of our greenhouse gas emissions between 2019 and 2030.

On the issue of carbon pricing and climate change, we have no lessons to take from the Conservative Party, whose official position today, as Alberta is suffering from droughts, as there are unforeseen storms in eastern Canada and atmospheric rivers in B.C., is still that climate change simply does not exist.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, shame on the Liberals for telling Canadians that their costly carbon tax is reducing emissions. It is a complete scam.

The minister pretends that his carbon tax reduces emissions, but now we know that the Liberals do not measure the results of their carbon tax. With no measurement, there are no results. No wonder emissions went up after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government.

Why did the environment minister mislead Canadians about his carbon tax scam?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, the falsehoods that we hear from the Conservative Party on the issue of climate change and carbon pricing has not been seen before in the history of our country. First, the Conservatives believe that climate change does not exist. That is simply not true. They say that our plan is not working. Our plan has allowed us to reduce—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am having difficulty hearing the minister respond to the question. I will ask him to start from the top. Could members please withhold their comments so the Speaker can hear?

The hon. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, do members want to know the truth? Climate change is real. That is the truth. Do they want to know the truth? Climate change is impacting Canadians all over the country, including farmers from coast to coast. Do they want to know the truth about climate change? It is costing Canadians billions of dollars. That is the truth about climate change.

Our party is working. We are reducing emissions. We are helping Canadians with affordability. That is the truth.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals do not measure the results of the carbon tax, there are no results. The Liberals have no shame in punishing Canadians without anything to show for it.

Here is something we can measure, though. After eight years of the Liberal government, gas is up, groceries are up, home heating is up because of its failed carbon tax.

Now that the environment minister has exposed his own carbon tax scam, will he finally axe the tax?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty hard to take the Conservatives seriously on the cost of groceries when the senior adviser to their leader is actually a lobbyist for Loblaws. Now it turns out that the deputy leader used to work for Walmart.

The Conservatives are opposing our historic reforms to the Competition Act, which will bring down the cost of groceries. Is that because they are taking dictation from Walmart and Loblaws and not working for Canadians?

Foreign Affairs

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as parents, the safety of our children is essential. Too often, children are affected by war. Russia's invasion of Ukraine cost thousands of people their lives and continues to jeopardize children's safety.

As the second anniversary of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine approaches, can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us what Canada is doing for the children of Ukraine?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I just got back from Ukraine, where thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted and brought to Russia, far from their families. This is terribly sad. That is why Canada and Ukraine have launched the international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children.

We are going to work through our diplomatic network to exert pressure on various countries and on the Kremlin. Every child that is returned will be a victory.

Today, there is going to be an important vote in the House. The Conservatives are facing a historic failure. We all need to support Ukraine.

Carbon Pricing

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal government, one thing is for sure: Canadians are paying more taxes.

The other thing we know for sure is that Liberal carbon taxes are the cornerstone of the Liberal approach to fighting climate change. Do they actually work, though?

That is why my colleague from Manitoba tabled a written question. The minister wrote back and said, “the government does not measure the annual amount of emissions that are directly reduced by federal carbon pricing.”

Why tax when there is no way to assess?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I said this in English, and I am pleased to say it in French. We put out figures on carbon pricing just before the holidays.

Carbon pricing will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% to 30% by 2030. We have already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 30 million tonnes. There is still a lot of work to be done because the Conservatives spent 10 years doing nothing to fight pollution and climate change.

Thanks to our programs, our actions and the actions of Canadians, we are starting to tackle this problem. The last thing we need is for the Conservatives to come back and wreck everything.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know who is answering my questions. Is it the environment minister who claims that things are in the works, or the environment minister who signs off on things we cannot assess? Which one is speaking today? Is it the environment minister under whose watch Canada went from ranking 58th to 62nd on climate performance?

That is the Liberal's track record.

Why do you keep imposing taxes? You have no way to assess their effectiveness.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would like to remind all hon. members to address their questions through the Chair.

The hon. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is wrong. We publish an annual report on greenhouse gas emissions in April. It happens every year, just like Christmas or tax time.

I would be pleased to arrange a personalized briefing for all Conservative members interested in the climate change issue—I know there are only a few of them—on Canada's progress in the fight against climate change and on the support we provide to help Canadians transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Order.

I would invite all members to listen to their whip, who is advising them to show some restraint.

The hon. member for Souris Moose Mountain.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is Brandon—Souris.

After eight long years of the Liberal Prime Minister, many—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would like to apologize to the member for Brandon—Souris. I will invite the member to please start again, from the top.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight long years of the Liberal Prime Minister, many West End families are struggling to make ends meet as the price of gas, groceries and heat continue to rise because of the Prime Minister's carbon tax.

In Brandon, the Samaritan House food bank gave out nearly 36,000 hampers last year, a dramatic increase of 12,000, which was 50% above their normal annual average.

For Canadian families facing hardship, the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. Will the Liberals give people a break and stop their April 1 carbon tax hike?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, this fall we put forward a comprehensive economic plan that included generational changes to Canada's competition law that will bring down grocery prices.

The Conservative leader described that plan as a “disgusting scheme”. His actions make a lot more sense now that we have learned that he is advised by a Loblaws lobbyist and that his deputy leader used to work for Walmart.

The Conservative leader talks a lot about powerful paycheques. Who is paying his advisers?

International Trade

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today, members of the chamber will have the opportunity, yet again, to advance the modernized Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. February 24 will mark two years since Russia's brutal, inhumane and cruel invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainians both at home and across the Canadian diaspora have demonstrated an unwavering and inspiring will to persevere. I have seen this tenacity first-hand in my home riding of Winnipeg South Centre.

Can the Minister of International Trade expand on the critical importance of this legislation, a piece of legislation that President Zelenskyy himself has urged us to enact?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Export Promotion]

Mr. Speaker, I was with the member for Winnipeg South Centre meeting with those very excellent and wonderful Ukrainian Canadians. To those Ukrainian Canadians in Manitoba, in Saskatchewan, in British Columbia, in Alberta, here in Ontario and, indeed, across the country, I want to say to them that I hear them and that we hear them. The Liberal government is going to vote, today, in favour of the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement.

Most of the House is going to do that. I want to ask my Conservative colleagues, I appeal to them, to support Ukraine today. Vote for this Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement today.

Indigenous Affairs

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Jared Guerard was a beautiful young Cree artist. He died this past weekend in a horrific house fire in Peawanuck. A young woman is also dead, and three others are in hospital fighting for their lives. This government knew that Peawanuck was at risk, yet the minister nickel-and-dimed the community over funding for a fire hall.

A fire hall: that is basic stuff. People in Treaty 9 are tired of the trauma and the broken promises. We need a full comprehensive plan for fire safety in the north and no more fire deaths.

Is the minister up to the job, yes or no?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I have been working with Weenusk First Nation since last year when there was yet another tragic death in that community due to a house fire. In fact, last march, we airlifted in the fire truck that would help them respond. I agree that they do need a fire hall as well. Our department is working with the community to make sure that we can accelerate the work of the design and make it possible to get the equipment and the supplies there quickly.

I look forward to meeting with this member this afternoon to talk more about this.