Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk.
It is a privilege to rise in this House today for the first time during this session. I do so with a strong sense of honour and responsibility.
I want to begin by thanking my constituents of Vancouver Granville, who have placed their trust in me. I also thank my family for their heartfelt support and the tireless volunteers who powered our campaign. It is because of them that I have the privilege to serve in this House. I will work every day to serve our community and to continue to make our community a stronger one.
To speak to this motion is to speak to what appears to be a Conservative effort to inhibit Canadian technology, to inhibit opportunity in this country, to inhibit innovation and, frankly, to inhibit looking to the future. What this motion seeks to do, on its face, is remove what is perceived to be, as the Conservatives call it, a ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles. What it actually seeks to do is turn its back on the opportunity for Canadian industry to be world leaders in the production of components for electric vehicles, batteries and so on.
We all know that electric vehicles are the future, and this is a moment Canada needs to seize. It is a moment for us to define ourselves as a country willing to invest in making big, bold decisions to build for the future. Canadians made that very clear in the last election. They voted for a Liberal government because they demand ambitious action on climate change at the same time as we build a strong, forward-looking economy at a time of global crisis.
If this motion is passed, it will put Canada at a substantial disadvantage on the world stage. Given the ongoing trade war with the United States, which certainly on this side of the House we are deeply concerned about, we cannot and must not allow that. This is not just about shifting political ideologies, technology or market trends. It is a matter of recognizing this unique historic moment that we find ourselves in. It is a matter of recognizing the opportunity we have been given to do something about it, the opportunity to tackle one of Canada's biggest challenges, which is climate change, while leveraging Canadian innovation, which we all know is the envy of the world. I would challenge anyone in this House to say that Canadian technology and innovation when it comes to electric vehicles and components are second to anyone else.
We all know that climate change is a serious issue. In my riding of Vancouver Granville, my constituents know this and our government knows this. It threatens our present and it threatens our future.
We know that transportation is one of the highest-emitting sectors in Canada, so we have to address the role it plays in accelerating the climate crisis. Putting more electric vehicles on the road is not only essential to fighting climate change; it is also smart economic policy. It is about recognizing the innovation in the sector that is happening here in Canada. For the first time in many years, we can look forward to the production of Canadian electric vehicles that we will be seeing on the roads of this country.
Our Liberal government consulted extensively with our automotive sector, with workers, with provincial and territorial governments, with indigenous organization and with experts to develop the electric vehicle availability standard. What does that standard do? It says that by 2026, 20% of all new vehicle sales need to be zero-emission vehicles, and that by 2030, 60% of new vehicle sales must be zero-emission vehicles.
We know change does not happen overnight. We know that misleading Canadians into thinking that there is going to be this drastic change overnight is irresponsible. This is why we set up obtainable goals for over the next 10 years.
When it comes to the environment, this policy is projected to reduce cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 362 megatonnes between 2026 and 2050. That is what fighting climate change actually looks like. We recognize the issue on this side of the House, and we are working to fix it.
We know that air pollution from gas-powered vehicles has detrimental health effects and increases the risk of serious illnesses in children and older people. Improving air quality for Canadians will decrease illness as well as mortalities associated with smog and air pollution caused by vehicles.
Health Canada analysis shows that air pollution from on-road vehicles in Canada contributes to asthma, lung disease, 1,200 premature deaths and millions of cases of non-fatal health outcomes. Climate policies are good economic policies not just for the industry but also for Canadians and Canadian workers.
Our climate plan creates a clear, predictable pathway for manufacturers, consumers and infrastructure developers to follow. It gives industry ample time to adjust, innovate and invest. It aligns closely to what many auto manufacturers are already doing in electrification and helps Canada keep pace with similar ambitions in other major economies, such as the European Union and the U.K. This is one part of how we make Canada a world leader.
Our government is also tackling one of the main barriers to buying EVs, which is limited availability and long wait times. We are ensuring that Canadians will have access to the vehicles they need as the world transitions away from fossil fuels. We will make sure that Canadians will have control over their own future, because we are putting Canadians first by supporting Canadian-made solutions at home and promoting them abroad. That is why Canadians voted for this Liberal government. They can trust us to lead the way and put their interests first.
It is a matter of economic opportunity. Electric vehicles are here and they are scaling fast, and we have to seize the opportunity before us. Canadians are looking for cost-effective solutions and it is our duty to deliver. Gas-powered vehicles are not getting any cheaper and gas prices are not coming down, and because we know that in the long term, zero-emission vehicles save money, we are investing in them. There are savings on fuelling because the electricity someone buys to power their electric vehicle is much cheaper than gasoline. There are savings on maintenance costs, such as oil changes, replacing engine parts and repairs. Zero-emission vehicle prices are also heading down as we increase zero-emission vehicle availability. As supply is increased, prices for battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and batteries come down.
Despite what may be said on the opposite side of the House, climate policies are not about forcing choices. Climate policies will ensure that Canadians have access to the vehicles they are saying they want to buy. We have to be prepared to demonstrate flexibility, compromise, hope, commitment, vision and action. That is exactly what we are trying to do, but let us not forget leadership. Showing leadership is what governing is about. It is exactly what our new Liberal government is ambitious about doing. It is about making ambitious choices when it comes to building an economy and taking on climate change.
We all know that the world is moving fast. We have to keep up the pace and we have to leave this world better than we found it. Countries around the world are making decisions like this. Countries like ours, our peer countries, are taking the steps that are required.
The Conservatives want to take us back in time, as they do on every issue, nostalgic about an era that is not coming back. We have to build for a better future, and this motion speaks to exactly what Conservatives seek to keep doing: wishing and hoping for things that are not happening.
When we look at the opportunity for this country, the opportunity to invest in a nation, the opportunity for Canadians and Canadian sectors to lead, electric vehicles and electrification are places where Canada continues to make gains and become a world leader. That is why investment is coming to this country and this sector and why our government is investing in this sector. Most importantly, that is why Canadians are seeing this sector as a way for their economy to grow for the future.
The choice is clear, and Canadians made that choice in the last election. They chose to vote for a government and for policies that understand the important and urgent need to balance the current concerns of Canadians, rural and urban, with the need to build a strong economy for the future; invest in sectors in this country that will create good, long-term jobs; allow Canadians to innovate; and take that innovation and make it into something that can be commercialized. That is exactly what the sector is doing every single day.
As for the Conservatives' choice, they have made it very clear. They want to try to roll back the clock, turn back time. It is not possible. What is possible is to build for the future, and that is exactly what we are trying to do.
The motion presented today seeks to do only one thing. It seeks to mislead Canadians into thinking that somehow our government is trying to take away the choice of Canadians, which this plan simply does not do. What it does is recognize the ambition of this country and of Canadians to invest in sectors that will create economic growth in this country and to fight the urgent climate crisis that Canadians from coast to coast to coast recognize.
Whether we are talking about forest fires in British Columbia or other parts of this country, we have seen first-hand the impact of climate change. We have seen first-hand the importance of taking this up head-on and seeing it not just as a chance to do the right thing, but as a chance to build economic success for this country. Turning crises into opportunity is what we are going to do for Canadians so we can build a strong, powerful economy in this country while fighting the climate crisis.