Christine Stewart

[Environment, October 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is an active participant in the negotiations for a deal that will be signed in Kyoto. We are there representing the best interests of Canada. We are there trying to make sure that we get annex I countries signing on to a deal in Kyoto. That is what is important if we are going to deal with the issue of global change.

[Environment, October 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, this government is on the side of Canadians. This government is on the side of the environment. This government is on the side of doing something about the very serious issue of climate change and we will continue to negotiate with all the Canadian partners who will help us to achieve our targets.

[Environment, October 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, this issue is much more important than the scare mongering of the Reform Party on the issue of taxes.

I would like to ask the Reform Party what they are going to do, what are their own suggestions about dealing with greenhouse gas emissions.

[Environment, October 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the government is open to looking at many alternatives with our partners in dealing with this important issue which affects all Canadians.

I suppose the critic opposite is suggesting that he is responding to his own quotes where he says “You have to look at the whole package of where you are going to go, where you want to be. Yes, environmental taxes even may be part of the equation if they are dedicated”.

[Environment, October 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I, other ministers in our government and our officials have held many, many meetings over the years with officials and other parties to this important negotiation. With respect, the Reform Party cannot even listen to its own critic about its position.

[Environment, October 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Reform Party what its own position is on this very serious global issue. Is it going to continue to put its head in the sand and say that there is no problem?

This is an issue which implicates the future for our children and our grandchildren. In its own Reform document the Reform Party says it supports ensuring that all Canadians dwell in a clean and healthy environment. When are you going to start standing up for—

[Environment, October 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times before, the government is committed to legally binding targets that we will sign onto with other annex I countries in Kyoto, Japan. With respect, the government is also working in a serious style of negotiation with all of the partners in this country who, after Kyoto, have to be involved in putting in the measures necessary to meet our targets. We do this with respect in our negotiating process.

[The Environment, October 23rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, this is a national issue and a national challenge but there are national opportunities. There is not one area of the country that will not be negatively affected by the results of climate change.

Canada will be working collaboratively with Quebec and every province of the country to find appropriate resolutions. If we do not, we risk our water, agriculture, fisheries and forests. It is a serious issue.

[Environment, October 23rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, in discussing this issue with my provincial counterparts yesterday, including the minister from Alberta, I believe that we are satisfied that we are working together on this issue in a transparent manner. I also believe that the minister of the environment in Alberta is very concerned about the negative impact of climate change on his province.

[Environment, October 23rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the provinces are working with me in discussing this very important issue. They are well apprised of what we are doing as a responsible nation in the international community.

There are many thousands of Canadians who are very concerned about this issue. The Reform seems blind to that reality. There are many companies, including Loeb grocers, who have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions, their energy costs by 30% by reducing the speed limits on their delivery trucks to 90 to 95 kilometres an hour. They are saving 30% of their—