Debates of June 9th, 2025

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, the Minister of Canadian Identity has biodiversity as his file and has played a central role in the negotiations at the UN with respect to biodiversity. I am happy to provide that information to the member opposite at a later date.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, it has been 33 years, as of June 6, since that convention came into effect, and that is where the 30 by 30 was spawned from, as we say when we are talking about fish in the sea. We have protected 15% of our oceans in the last 33 years under that convention. How does the minister expect to protect another 15% in just four and a half years?

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

Mr. Speaker, if the member has great ideas that he would like to share, I would welcome them. However, again, I will point out that the Minister of Canadian Identity is the one responsible, along with the Secretary of State for Nature, for biodiversity and land and water protections.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, has the minister's department done a cost-benefit analysis on the 30 by 30? What will be the cost to industries that depend on our oceans, and what will be the benefit to coastal communities if 30% of our oceans are marine parks?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians love our proud heritage and proud nature coast to coast to coast. However, I will point out once again that there is a Minister of Canadian Identity and a Secretary of State for Nature who are responsible for those files. I am sure they will be happy to answer those questions.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, recently, a commentator in Alberta had this to say: “If you look out east, I'll take Quebec. They import about 365,000 barrels a day of oil. All of it is coming from abroad. Seventy per cent of that is coming from the U.S., so we have an opportunity to displace there.” He went on to say, “we should be using it all the time ourselves because we are going to use what I call conventional oil and gas for the rest of my life and beyond.”

I am wondering if the minister agrees with these statements.

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

Mr. Speaker, while I thank the member for providing a precis of that commentary, the truth is, as I have said before, that the most important thing is how we work to build Canada as an energy superpower that is low-cost, low-risk and low-carbon. That is a task that Canadians have given us to do, and that is what we will work on.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the quote was, “we should be using it all the time ourselves because we are going to use what I call conventional oil and gas for the rest of my life and beyond.”

Does the minister agree with those statements?

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

Mr. Speaker, we will need energy to be able to support our country, and we are planning for us to be an energy superpower. There are many forms of energy that our country can support, including using nuclear, hydroelectric, hydrogen—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Leduc—Wetaskiwin.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, one of the minister's cabinet colleagues has strongly expressed a contrary opinion, saying, “Maybe as much as half of oil reserves, proven reserves, need to stay in the ground if we are going to get where we are.”

Does the minister agree with her cabinet colleague?

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

Mr. Speaker, I can say with certainty that the position of this government is that we need to build ourselves as an energy superpower, and to do that, we will be working to make sure it is low-risk, low-cost and low-carbon. We will look at all forms of energy that Canada is lucky to have as its resources.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, when the minister hears such disparate comments, does she realize how hard it is going to be to achieve consensus in this country around pipelines?

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

Mr. Speaker, most of the chatter I am hearing is from the Conservatives across the way.

What I saw last week was premiers and the Prime Minister sitting at a table and saying, “Let us work together.” The only people who seem to be upset with that are the Conservatives.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, does the minister realize that both of the quotes I just read came from her own Prime Minister? They are from the same person.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will quote the Prime Minister, who said that Canada must be an energy superpower that builds low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon energy.

That is what we will do.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that he would take Quebec, as it imports 365,000 barrels a day, all of it coming from abroad, so we have an opportunity to displace there.

Does the minister suggest we should use pipelines or rail to displace that oil going to Quebec, which her own boss says we need to displace?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said at the beginning of the evening, it is not my job to pick the project. My job, as Minister of Environment, is to make sure that we take into consideration the environment and how to get to net zero by 2050, which is our country's commitment, as it is in his home province.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my home province will be listening very closely to the conversation that we are having tonight.

The National Energy Board, in its decision on Energy East, said that the NEB “will consider...upstream and downstream GHG emissions” in determining whether these projects are “in the public interest.” This is effectively the government policy right now.

According to the Canada Energy Regulator, the former National Energy Board, in 2023, Canada imported 19.5 billion dollars' worth of crude oil. This included 2.5 billion dollars' worth of oil imported into Canada from Nigeria, and 2.1 billion dollars' worth from Saudi Arabia.

Is the $2.5 billion of oil imported into Canada from Nigeria and the $2.1 billion from Saudi Arabia subject to the same rigorous reporting on upstream and downstream emissions as oil coming from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we need to make sure, as we build ourselves as an energy superpower, that the energy we are producing is low-risk, low-cost, and low-carbon. In fact, that makes us more competitive as a market to people who want to purchase our products. Countries are looking to us to be able to fulfill exactly that type of energy: low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a simple question based on a quote.

“Energy is power. Energy is Canada's superpower”. Does the minister agree?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada is going to be an energy superpower in all its forms of energy. We have actually worked on projects with nuclear, with hydro and with hydrogen. We have what it takes to be an energy superpower, and that is what they are going to see us do.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have another quote: “We need to reduce our exposure to foreign energy”.

Does the minister agree?

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

Mr. Speaker, what we need to do is to build ourselves a strong economy and to position ourselves as an energy superpower. We can do that, and I am wondering if the member opposite will help us get there.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have another quote: “the imperative of making Canada an energy superpower in all respects has never been greater.”

Does the minister agree?