Catherine McKenna

[The Environment, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I guess what is advertised is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for the environment. They do not have a plan for the economy. They do not understand that climate change is a serious problem and that we can do both.

We can tackle climate change and we can grow the economy. We have a plan that eliminates coal and invests in renewables. It invests in clean technologies. It invests in energy efficiency. I could go on and on.

Unfortunately, the Conservative Party does not want to come together. It does not want to join Canadians and take serious action to tackle climate change and also grow our economy. We can do both; we need to do both.

[Carbon Pricing, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, it is probably good to get the facts on the table. There has been a 1¢ increase in the price of gas in B.C. as related to the price on pollution.

Let us be clear with what we are doing. We are putting a price on pollution and giving the money back. We are taking serious action.

What is the party opposite doing? It is having secret meetings with oil lobbyists to develop its yet-to-be-seen climate plan.

We need to take action on climate change. We owe it to our kids. We have a huge economic opportunity. I am very proud that we are taking action, and we have created a million jobs with Canadians.

[Carbon Pricing, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, where are we headed? We are headed to taking serious action on climate change while growing our economy.

Let us look at the facts. We have had to put a price on pollution because we have provinces led by Conservative premiers who do not seem to think climate change is a problem and do not seem to understand the economic opportunity of clean growth.

We are giving money back to Canadians. That is in the legislation. Eighty percent of families will be better off. A family in Ontario will get $307.

Did the member opposite cash his climate action incentive rebate?

[The Environment, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to outline in great detail our plan to tackle climate change. We negotiated it for a whole year with provinces and territories and indigenous people, and with input from Canadians. We are phasing out coal; we are investing in renewables, and we are ensuring a just transition for communities and workers. We are investing in energy efficiency so we can save people, businesses, schools and hospitals money.

We are investing in clean solutions, innovators and entrepreneurs who are providing the solutions we desperately need. At the same time, we are making sure life is affordable and we are creating good jobs. It is unfortunate that the NDP does not understand that the environment and the economy have to go together. It is cancelling a project supported by the—

[The Environment, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize the climate emergency, which is why we have a motion on the climate emergency.

On the one hand, there is the Conservative Party, which has no climate plan and no economic plan. The Conservatives are saying things that are not true about the price on pollution. On the other hand, there is the NDP, which is flip-flopping on the LNG project, the largest investment in Canadian history, which will help developing countries phase out carbon.

We must combat climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what we are doing.

[The Environment, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, when will the Conservative Party listen to the science on climate change?

We have a motion to debate the emerging climate emergency in Canada. Let us talk about the science. Scientists have shown that Canada is warming at twice the global average, and three times or more in the north. In the national capital region, people are still suffering from flooding. This is a flood that was supposed to happen once every 100 years, and it has now happened twice in two years.

We need to take action on climate change. Why does the Conservative Party not join us in taking serious action on climate change and also growing our economy? We are very proud that we have created a million jobs with Canadians.

[Natural Resources, May 10th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, let me be clear. We have already eliminated eight of the nine financial subsidies for fossil fuels.

We are phasing out coal, but we are ensuring a just transition. We are working on this issue not only in Canada but around the world. We are leading the Powering Past Coal Alliance because we need to power past coal. We are making historic investments in renewable energy, in public transit, in clean energy and in energy efficiency because we want to save people money and because it is no longer free to pollute in Canada.

[The Environment, May 10th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, we believe in the importance of proper environmental assessments. That is why we are rebuilding trust in environmental assessments through Bill C-69, which, unfortunately, is opposed by the Conservative Party. It will ensure that we do environmental assessments in consultation with indigenous peoples at the start. It means that we will be listening to the public and that we will be making decisions based on science and evidence, and we will ensure that good projects go ahead in a timely fashion.

[The Environment, May 10th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I am always happy to talk about our climate change plan. Yes, it includes a price on pollution. Polluters need to pay, but we are giving the money back. That means that a family of four in Ontario will get $307. We are phasing out coal. We are making historic investments in renewables, but we are also ensuring a just transition for workers, because we need to make sure that workers and communities can thrive as we move to a cleaner future. We are focused on making historic investments in public transportation, which is something the NDP would not have done, because it planned to balance the budget and not make those historic investments. We are also making historic investments in clean solutions and energy efficiency. We have a climate plan—

[Carbon Pricing, May 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about how we have made life more affordable for Canadians. We reduced taxes on the middle class. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has raised 300,000 children out of poverty. Yes, we are making it no longer free to pollute, but we are giving the money back to Canadians, so that a family of four in Ontario will receive $307, which is more than most families will pay.

We need to take action on climate change. We need to grow our economy. We need to do it in an affordable way. That is what we are doing.