House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2004, with 35% of the vote.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, at least in one respect the hon. member is correct. The steel industry is extremely important to Canada's economy and of course to those people who work for it or are suppliers to it. I could add that the measures which are under consideration for implementing the Kyoto accord will not impact adversely on the steel industry.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should indeed look into what causes smog. One thing that is very important in the creation of smog is heat. What is climate change and global warming? Heat. Therefore, along with those other pollutants that exist, we get the problem of smog.
That is my little science lesson for him but perhaps he might like to look a little further into this. I would be happy to give him a lunch maybe sometime and explain it in more detail.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, this government fully intends to live up to its commitments under the Kyoto agreement. I notice the hon. member is in complete contradiction to the leader of his party who said we had no plan. This man apparently knows what is in the plan. The two of them had better get together and figure out what is what.
I can assure him however that when we release all the information on what we intend to do, he will find that 70 megaton gap, as he described it, fully covered.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the problem with the would be leader of the New Democratic Party is of course he is so involved in the internal debates of that party he is not paying attention to speeches made elsewhere. I indeed am an enthusiast for the Kyoto protocol's opportunities on the economic front. They are dramatic. That is why I say that while we can add up as much as we want, the potential job loss on one side is almost certain to be exceeded by the job growth on the other.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, as a candidate for the leadership of the New Democratic Party federally, I can understand why kamikaze is well on the mind of the hon. member. I wish him luck in avoiding the fate that he has set for himself.
With respect to the date, it remains the same. The Prime Minister announced in June of last year that he hoped to have ratification this year. It is still our intention and our wish to have it this year. There is plenty of time. I would just remark that since that 18 months, since June of last year, there has been a one week delay in one meeting.
The Environment October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I urge the hon. member to look at the throne speech where he will see references to contaminated sites under federal jurisdiction. We will of course be putting out more information on this before the House as time goes on.
I entirely agree with him. We certainly should react as quickly as we can to reduce the number of contaminated sites and reduce the impact on health and the environment of those areas.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, it is extremely important to have all three levels of government, territorial, provincial and federal, working together on an implementation plan for Kyoto. By doing so we can reduce any negative impacts and we can maximize the many benefits of the Kyoto accord.
We fully expect to work with the provinces. We know that as we get closer to the date, yes, certain positions will be taken, some of which are negotiating positions, some of which are firmly held, but we fully expect at the meeting next Monday, a week from today, to have a very constructive discussion with the provinces and territories.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I do hope that, on the 28 of this month, when the provinces and territories get together with the federal government, we will discuss which reference year is the most acceptable to all levels of government.
I realize that the province of Quebec has taken a very clear position on the matter, and I respect this position. But there are also other provinces, whose views are different.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
No, Mr. Speaker. The federal government intends to implement Kyoto and to meet the target of reducing emissions to 6% below 1990 levels.
Kyoto Protocol October 21st, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the most important principle to us is that no region must be adversely affected by the implementation of the Kyoto protocol. That is the basic principle. The other principles—and there are many, including the least expensive approach, for example—would hurt one region or another in one way or another.