David Anderson

[The Environment, April 16th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, here we have the leader of the NDP once more saying that on an important issue we should not listen to anyone and that it is okay just to proceed unilaterally, and if someone has a better idea or a different idea it should not be considered. I would like her to recognize that democracy consists of listening to people, something she is not very good at.

Democracy suggests that no matter whether we ultimately agree or whether we ultimately do not agree, at least we are open to the suggestions of the people of Canada. We know better the approach of the New Democratic Party which has been so destructive to the province of British Columbia over the last decade.

[The Environment, April 16th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member simply has not paid attention to this file. The government's position was stated in June last year. It was that we wished to ratify this year and we would do so only after full consultation with the provinces, the territories, industry and the Canadian public, and in addition, that we would have a plan that would not unduly hurt any region of the country.

Those are suggestions which the NDP opposes. Fair enough. However those are the types of conditions we feel are important before we make a decision on ratification.

[Kyoto Protocol, April 16th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the policy of the Canadian government is very clear: we want to have effective consultations to thoroughly examine issues with the provinces, territories, affected industries and Canadians. We must have a plan whereby no region of the country is going to be more affected than others. These two things are very clear. The Prime Minister said it repeatedly since last year. I think he mentioned it in Italy, back in June. There is clearly no change in the Canadian government's policy.

[Kyoto Protocol, April 16th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister explained, there is no change in the Canadian government's position.

It goes without saying that the issue of credits for the sale of clean energy to the United States is very important to us. We are waiting for the Europeans to realize the importance of this issue. So far, this has not happened, but we continue to try to persuade them.

[The Environment, April 15th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, once again the hon. member gets in trouble by putting forward inaccurate preambles to his questions.

The province of Alberta is at one with the Government of Canada in seeking to obtain clean energy export credits. That is a matter of record, which the minister of the environment for Alberta, the Hon. Lorne Taylor, repeated last weekend when he was with me at a dinner of the G-8 ministers.

I honestly do not understand where the hon. member gets his information for the preambles to his questions. It makes his questions appear ill-prepared.

[The Environment, April 15th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, much of the preface to the hon. member's question is incorrect because of course the G-8 is not a strictly European organization.

The European commissioner for the environment, Ms. Wallstrom, did indicate her concern on the issue of clean energy exports, but let me point out that clean energy exports reduce the amount of CO

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that goes into the atmosphere and therefore help achieve the goals of Kyoto and of the Rio convention on climate change.

We think that the Europeans should stop judging before the information is in and recognize we have a UN sponsored conference in Whistler next month to consider that very issue. At this point there is no formal Canadian proposal on the table.

[The Environment, April 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder whether the hon. member remembers what he said at the Alliance convention not too long ago when he said that the Alliance position on Kyoto would “help our fundraising”.

[The Environment, April 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member who is a critic for the Alliance should know that the government's consistent position has been that no figures will be put forward from the government until we have had the report from the federal-provincial-territorial joint working group which is currently analyzing the impact of Kyoto on the economy.

When that occurs all governments, federal, provincial and territorial, will be in a better position to offer comments and a response to the hon. member's question.

[The Environment, April 9th, 2002]

No, Mr. Speaker, there is no contradiction. Last year, the Prime Minister clearly said that the Bonn and Marrakech accords pave the way for ratification, even for 2002.

[The Environment, April 9th, 2002]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is the fourth month of the year. The Prime Minister has not changed his mind. So we are awaiting developments, especially after the joint federal-provincial committee, which will be submitting its report in a few weeks.