House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 53% of the vote.
The Environment October 23rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, that minister and that government do not care about the environment. Their inaction says more than their words. As a result, the minority Conservative government is allowing Ontario's dirty coal fired power plants to operate for years and is delaying reduction of greenhouse gases for years.
Why is the minister going against the advice of experts who say her government is taking the wrong approach on the environment?
The Environment October 23rd, 2006
Mr. Speaker, after the government spent months cutting billions of dollars from environment programs that work, the minister had the audacity to claim that she had an integrated approach to cleaning Canada's air. By cutting dozens of programs to fight global warming, refusing to give Ontario the funding it promised to shut down coal fired electrical plants and introducing an environmental package that delays action for years, the government can only guarantee our air will get dirtier and our climate warmer.
Coal creates smog and global warming. When will the minister get her head out of the smog?
The Environment October 20th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, numbers do not lie. During the former Liberal government's time in office, greenhouse gas emissions in Canada dropped in nine of the last eleven years and is now 13% below 1990 levels. Intensity is not the problem; real, actual greenhouse gas reductions are.
Will the minister withdraw her notice of intention to regulate and replace it with a hard cap on actual greenhouse gas emissions that will take effect in 2010?
The Environment October 20th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, that plan is the Quebec Kyoto plan.
Yesterday the Minister of the Environment had the audacity to claim that in order to make more progress in the fight against global warming, we needed to implement intensity targets. Intensity is not the issue.
The government is trying to make it appear that it is taking new action. The minister fails to mention that thanks to the former Liberal government Canada's greenhouse gas intensity is already 13% below 1990 levels.
Will the Minister of the Environment admit that intensity is not the problem and that she is just trying to find a clever way to avoid real action until we are all dead?
The Environment October 19th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I fear the law does not support the minister. In the Hydro-Québec case, the Supreme Court decided that the federal government needs to label toxic substances “toxic” in order to regulate them with certainty. This bill removes all air pollutants and greenhouse gases from the list of toxic substances in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The government is begging for a lawsuit.
Will the minister admit that her real intention is to delay action on climate change for years when she already has the tools she needs to act today?
The Environment October 19th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the so-called clean air act pretends to deal with air pollution and greenhouse gases by removing them from the toxics section of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The government has just opened itself up to years of lawsuits, because this measure is likely unconstitutional. Apparently no one told the minister that the government only has the undisputed constitutional power to regulate toxic substances if they are clearly labeled toxic.
Will the Minister of Justice admit that this process weakens the law and will tie up any real environmental action for years in the courts?
The Environment October 17th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, the minister has misled Canadians on the question of purchasing credits. In the former Liberal government’s Green Plan it was clearly stated that purchasing hot air credits would never be on the table.
The minister has shown that she is incapable of understanding the most basic elements of Canada’s Kyoto commitments. Will she finally admit that the government never intended to purchase hot air credits? Will she finally tell the truth?
The Environment October 17th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, perhaps if I ask the question in French I will get better results.
The Environment October 17th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, in the environment as well as in foreign affairs the government is becoming a stranger to the truth.
When the Minister of the Environment appeared before the environment committee on October 5, she claimed that the previous Liberal government spent over $100 million in purchasing hot air credits from foreign countries. The truth is that not one penny has ever been spent by the federal government on hot air credits or foreign credits of any kind.
Will the Minister of the Environment apologize to the House for misleading the committee?
Bone Marrow Research October 16th, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 10th anniversary of the Canadian Cure Campaign, which saw a then teenaged Christine Ichim rollerblade across Canada to raise funds for leukemia research.
This week she celebrates with a Hope for Leukemia Awareness Day and is teaming up with the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Association of Canada during the association's annual awareness week.
It is estimated that there are more than 1,500 new cases of these bone marrow failure diseases each year alone in Canada. This week is an opportunity to increase awareness and give hope to families faced with these diseases.
I believe I speak for all parliamentarians when I extend our support of these efforts to bring attention to serious bone marrow diseases.