Debates of June 9th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, of all the actions we are taking, people need to pay attention to how we are capping emissions across all industrial sectors. That is very important if we want to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I am very disappointed that I am not getting answers to my questions.

Does the minister believe that decarbonized oil is a thing?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about is how we can become an energy superpower. It will take access to low-cost, lower-risk energy that is either zero- or low-carbon.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government talks a lot about consultations in connection with its bill on so-called national projects.

Would first nations simply be consulted, or would the government ensure that their free, prior and informed consent is obtained for any project that may potentially be imposed on them?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is important that indigenous peoples participate in all we do to build a united Canada and a strong economy for our country. We certainly do need to consult indigenous peoples while protecting the environment.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the minister to explain the difference between consulting first nations and obtaining free, prior and informed consent.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I talked about the factors we need to think about when making decisions about national interest projects and the bill. I hope the member will support it. This includes taking the interests of indigenous peoples into account. That is where—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I thank the hon. minister. The time for questions has expired.

I now invite the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to deliver her speech.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, fellow colleagues, I am happy to appear before you this evening as Minister of Environment and Climate Change to discuss the 2025-26 main estimates for Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Canada Water Agency.

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people, the first stewards of the lands, waters and air we share today.

It is a tremendous honour, both personally and professionally, to take on the role of Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Environmental protection has always been a passion for me. It was in this spirit that I served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. I held both positions for four years. I sincerely thank the Prime Minister for the trust he has placed in me.

I was delighted to hear, in the Speech from the Throne, our promise to Canadians to build the strongest economy in the G7 and defend our sovereignty. It also reaffirmed Canada's promise to achieve net-zero emissions. All of these commitments are relevant because, as we stand here today, our world is shifting. Our sovereignty has been threatened. Our environment is being threatened. Canadians elected us to address both of these threats by creating one Canadian economy that is the strongest in the G7, while also fighting climate change and protecting Canadians from its impacts.

The 2025-26 main estimates that we will be discussing today play an important role in steering Canada in the right direction.

The funding will allow Environment and Climate Change Canada to continue providing national leadership while collaborating closely with the Canadian public and indigenous peoples. It will help us fight climate change, protect nature, preserve the health and safety of the environment and the Canadian people, and promote clean growth.

The department will pursue these objectives in several ways. As the official source for weather information and weather warnings in Canada, we will continue to provide timely and accurate weather information, including severe weather alerts, to help Canadians make informed decisions to protect their health and safety. We will also continue to provide national leadership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and short-lived climate pollutants in Canada, because we all know that climate change is real.

Under the previous Conservative government, Canada was on track to increase its emissions above 2005 levels by 9% by 2030. We have reversed that trajectory. We are now at our lowest emissions level outside of the pandemic in more than 25 years. As we diversify our trading relationships in light of the unjust American tariffs, our work to reduce emissions is more relevant now than ever. Maintaining strong industrial carbon pricing is a precondition for Canadian businesses to be able to access some of the world's largest economies. As a result, Pierre Poilievre's opposition to those policies would only weaken our ability to diversify our trading relationships. My hope is that, instead, the Conservatives will work with us to fight climate change and protect our environment.

Countries around the world are looking to Canada to make sure that the energy we provide is low-risk, low-cost and low-carbon. That is the key to ensuring that Canada becomes the energy superpower that we have the potential to be.

There is no question that meaningfully addressing Canada's carbon emissions requires action by large emitters. The output-based pricing system, otherwise known as industrial carbon pricing, is funding innovative, job-creating Canadian technology projects that would leverage cleaner technologies and fuels, the clean electricity initiatives and a decarbonization of Canada's industrial sectors.

A terrific example of this is the $25 million that Redpath Sugar Ltd. received to install new equipment and technology. This is a sweet story, so I ask members to please listen. This project will make the sugar-refining process more efficient and reduce thermal energy consumption while helping drive down carbon pollution.

We know there is no question that Canada's climate has changed and will continue to change. Because of that, we will carry on preparing properly and adapting to climate change to make Canadians and their communities safer, healthier and more resilient. We will continue to take strong action to help Canadians prepare for flood, wildfire, drought, coastline erosion and other extreme weather events worsened by climate change. We will also remain focused on preventing pollution in ecosystems, water and air.

There is also nature conservation. I have worked with communities to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity, including species at risk. The department will continue to build on its progress, conserving and protecting Canada's wildlife and habitat, recovering species at risk and, moreover, ensuring that indigenous leadership and perspectives remain foundational to meeting our goals for Canadians and the environment.

The time has come to look at the main estimates for 2025-26. The department's reference levels in this budget are just over $3.127 billion. That is an increase of $366.3 million, or 13.3%, over the main estimates for 2024-25.

This difference stems mainly from $300 million in new funding for a grant to the Northwest Territories project finance for permanence, statutory expenditures for the distribution of revenues from fuel charge payments to indigenous communities and the distribution of revenues from the output-based pricing system. This increase is partly offset by the transfer of resources to the new Canada Water Agency. Some funding was deferred as some programs reached their anticipated end date.

Let us turn to the grants and contributions in the 2025-26 main estimates. I want to highlight the most important part now, which is that it includes grants, such as a $300-million grant to the our land for the future trust in the Northwest Territories, which will add almost 2% of Canada's land to protected land. This is an important project. There are also voted contributions to support the Canada nature fund and contributions for conserving nature.

I am not going to go through all of them. Members can look at the 2025-26 main estimates to learn more, but I will add that there is also funding for the Impact Assessment Agency and the Canada Water Agency, which are both doing important work to support our country and our community.

We will keep on working together right across our country to build a strong Canada.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I will make one observation, then point out what I think is a very important contrast and then end with a question.

It was interesting watching as we got under way with the estimate process here. The Conservatives were trying to bait the minister to talk about the whole issue of pipelines. I could not help but reflect on the total and absolute failure of the Conservative government under Stephen Harper to even build an inch of pipeline to tidewater. They try to come across as not caring about the environment and just wanting to see pipelines being built, even though they failed so miserably themselves, and there is a good reason for that.

Sustainable development means working with the environment in the development of our economy, and that is where I think there is a big difference between Liberals and Conservatives. We are not prepared to abandon the environment.

My question is more related to the one Canadian economy act, as the minister made reference to it. She has been sitting at the cabinet table being a very strong advocate, and we have a Prime Minister who realizes the benefit of bringing forward this legislation and hopefully getting it passed.

The minister made reference to the premiers' conference. It was a week ago today when we had the first ministers in Saskatchewan, and I believe they achieved good consensus on a wide variety of issues. At the end of the day, it was very successful, and afterwards, I think all Canadians saw that it had been a success when the premiers went out to meet with members of the press and so forth. There was a good feeling that we need to build Canada together, one Canadian economy and nation-building projects.

I am wondering if the minister could expand upon that aspect, and if there is anything else she wanted to comment on, because I realize she was running out of time at the end of her remarks.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would really like to thank the member for asking that very thoughtful question, which goes to the heart of what we are trying to do right now in Parliament. It is why I am really reaching out to the members opposite to see if they can help us with this project.

We are just coming out of an election where Canadians were very clear about what they wanted to see and what their concerns are. Let us be clear. Our country is facing unprecedented threats to our sovereignty and our economy from President Trump in the United States with the unjustified tariffs against our industries.

What I heard at the door, and I am sure members in all of the seats in this honoured place heard this, was that Canadians want to see us build a strong, unified country to support our sovereignty and to defend our country. They want to see us build to support this country, show pride in this country and do everything we can for a strong future. That is certainly what I heard at the door and what I continue to hear from Canadians as they reach out.

Canadians want to see exactly what we saw last week, which was the Prime Minister and the premiers sitting down at a table together to see how they could get things done. We are not going to play partisan politics, and we are not going to play to divisions, because we recognize the moment we are in. The moment we are in is that we must build a strong economy. We must build to protect our sovereignty.

At the same time, we need to do that while making sure that we protect our environment, that we keep moving to net zero by 2050, because the other thing I hear is that people care deeply about the future for the next generations. We have an obligation to the next generations, if we are going to say we have a strong, beautiful Canada, to pass on a strong, beautiful Canada to our children and the next generations.

The question was a very appropriate one to get to what Canadians are asking of us. They are asking us to build and to build properly.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to share my time with the member for Leduc—Wetaskiwin and the member for Calgary Heritage this evening.

I wonder if the hon. minister would like Canada to be a world leader in oceans protection as Norway and Iceland are.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I absolutely support Canada being a strong country that protects our lands and waters, including our coastal waters.

I would say there may be more the member could hear from the minister and the Secretary of State, who are directly involved in the protection of nature.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, my hon. colleague is the Minister of the Environment right now, who is leading the charge on 30 by 30.

What percentage of Norway's and Iceland's oceans does she think is protected right now, because she indicated she would like Canada to be a world leader like Norway and Iceland?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to be clear, I did not actually say I was supporting following any country's model. I said that I supported protecting our lands and waters, which I do.

We have a Secretary of State for Nature, who is specifically tasked with 30 by 30. She is the one who will be working alongside the government.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague what percentage of Canada's oceans are protected right now.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the percentage is 15.8%. By the way, we have it much higher than they did.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, how many square kilometres does that equate to?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to provide a numerical breakdown of the protections of our oceans.

There is a Secretary of State who is specifically tasked with a nature file. I would be happy to consult—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, on a point or order, I think she has had enough time. She is running the clock.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Central Newfoundland may go ahead, please.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, how many years has the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity been in effect?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Identity is in charge of the file with respect to biodiversity. He was actually at the UN negotiations in Montreal on biodiversity and would be happy to fill in the member and provide all those—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Central Newfoundland.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, again, I would ask the Minister of Environment, how long has it been since the UN Convention on Biological Diversity came into effect? I think she should know that, as the Minister of Environment. It is very important.