Madam Speaker, at the outset I would like to indicate to you that I will be splitting my time with the member for York North, who of course has been my parliamentary secretary for the last two years and a paragon of parliamentary secretary virtues, so it is a great pleasure to have her with me at this time.
Certainly I am pleased to rise in this discussion today to speak on the budget, which is the greenest budget in Canadian history. The citizens of this nation say that preserving the environment is a fundamental value of Canadians and the government agrees. When I travelled the country, as indeed the Minister of Finance travelled the country, we were told time after time that the environment is among the top priorities of Canadians. Canadians understand that link between the environment and health and the environment and the economy.
Budget 2003 commits the largest investment to the environment in Canadian history. Quickly, let me say that there is a an implementation of the climate change action plan of $2 billion. Second, in addressing critical environmental and health issues over the next two years, there will be an additional $40 million spent on clean air, an additional $75 million spent on the management of toxic substances and an additional $175 million on the cleanup of federal contaminated sites. As well, over the next five years there will be the expenditure of $600 million to improve water quality in first nations communities.
We will also spend, over the next two years, some $74 million of new money to protect Canada's unique spaces and species through the creation of new national parks and new national marine conservation areas while ensuring the integrity of our existing parks system. In addition, there will be a new expenditure of $33 million to assist in implementing the Species at Risk Act.
The $3 billion announced in budget 2003 represents the largest investment ever made by a Canadian government in the environment. If we add this amount to the $2.3 billion that has been invested in the environment since 1997, we get a total of $5.3 billion, which is an unprecedented amount in the history of the Government of Canada.
This budget recognizes that economic investments must support environmental objectives, that environmental action is essential to long term economic growth and to sustainability, and that environmental action achieves social objectives such as good health and more liveable communities. It shows, in fact, that the government has clearly a green agenda.
Not only are the environmental investments included in this budget complemented by other initiatives that will promote sustainable development, such as new tax measures supporting biodiesel fuel and renewable and alternative energies, and by financial support for research in the Arctic, but the efforts made to achieve our goals regarding climate change will be integrated into the way the federal government will now operate.
By ratifying the Kyoto protocol in December, the Prime Minister was seen a leader on the climate change issue. The climate change plan for Canada is the outcome of extensive consultations with Canadians. We are currently investing $2 billion, over a five year period, to implement this plan.
Budget 2003 will allow us to develop partnerships with other levels of government, industries and Canadians. This will help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions while stimulating the economy and cooperating on individual projects.
In addition, there are our investments in infrastructure, with an extra $3 billion over the next 10 years added to the previous $5 billion in previous budgets. That will give particular consideration to projects to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Further, budget 2003 will also allow us to increase our support by $300 million for research, development and commercialization activities of the most promising greenhouse gas reduction technologies, funded through the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences and through the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology.
Federal programs, especially those in the industry portfolio of my colleague, such as the granting councils and the regional development agencies, have been asked in the budget to look to their programs to determine how they can enhance their contribution to meeting Canada's climate change commitments.
The government has worked very hard at making the environment a government-wide priority. Environmental issues are no longer the purview of my department alone. They in fact encompass every department and agency of government. It has been and will continue to be integrated in what we do as a government at every level and in every facet, from agriculture, to industry, to fisheries and oceans, to transport, to heritage and also the Department of National Defence. The environment is now a concern for them in ways that simply were not the case some 10 years ago.
Protecting nature is essential for our economic prosperity and quality of life. Again, protecting nature is essential for our economic prosperity.
The Species at Risk Act provides us with the necessary tools to protect threatened or endangered species, and the habitats that are indispensable to their survival.
The budget provides $33 million, in addition to the $90 million provided in budget 2000, to make good on our commitment and to implement the Species at Risk Act.
In the Speech from the Throne, the government made a commitment to take additional measures to preserve the ecological integrity of Canada's natural heritage.
Since 1993, we have already created seven new parks. Budget 2003 provides $74 million for the creation of 10 new national parks and five new marine conservation areas. We are protecting new areas and we are creating new opportunities for future generations.
Budget 2003 also provides $600 million, over a five year period, to improve the quality of water in first nation communities. This investment addresses a critical environmental and health problem, and it guarantees that the quality of life on first nation reserves will be improved.
In many parts of Canada, such as the lower mainland of British Columbia and many Atlantic provinces, we continue to experience high levels of air pollution. Ontario has just had its worst smog season on record. The science is clear. Air pollution costs lives and creates enormous burdens on our health system. That is why there is a $40 million sum announced in the budget to build on the $120 million announced in 2001 as part of our 10 year clean air agenda.
Finally, our investments in fulfilling the commitments we made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development will contribute to lasting improvements in the quality of life of people around the world.
This budget is not the start nor the completion of our environmental agenda, nor the last of the work we have to do. Since coming to power the government has stressed the need for a long term approach to environmental management, such as our action plan on cleaner vehicles, engines and fuels. The budget recognizes this need and continues the budget after budget investments by the government on the environment and will help us achieve our long term objectives while at the same time improving the quality of life for current and future generations of Canadians.
