House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 69% of the vote.
BUSINESS OF SUPPLY May 21st, 2013
Mr. Chair, I am sure that the opposition members across the way are going to want to ask about the green mining initiative. I look forward to them bringing questions forward. It brings stakeholders together to develop and demonstrate new green technologies and processes. It is creating new opportunities for Canadian mining, technology and service industries, both here in Canada and around the world.
BUSINESS OF SUPPLY May 21st, 2013
Mr. Chair, again, it is good to be up this evening.
There is an incredible contrast between our position and that of the NDP, the opposition, when it comes to the important uranium resources we have in this country. Our government supports safe and responsible uranium production. We all know that it is a highly regulated industry, and it has been since the beginning. It needs to pass muster with our independent regulatory agency as well. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, of course, is that regulator.
Over the last few years, we have promoted trade in the uranium sector by signing new agreements with China and India, two of the largest uranium users in the world. Those agreements insist that they use uranium for peaceful means and peaceful uses.
This has created jobs. It has created growth, particularly in our province of Saskatchewan but also right across the country.
On the other hand, I need to point out that the NDP has been very clear that it opposes nuclear energy in all its forms. It is frustrating to us. We see the NDP opposing mining. We see it opposing pipelines. We see it opposing oil sands. We see it opposing shale gas. However, it has been particularly vehement in its opposition to the nuclear industry in all forms.
I hear some heckling from across the way. My good friend across the way should listen to his leader when his leader, in 2008, in this very room, said, “I want to be very clear. The NDP is opposed to any new nuclear infrastructure in Canada”.
I do not know if that extends to research in medical isotope production. I am not sure if it does. He maybe could explain that.
Apart from that, there are 23,000 jobs across Canada the NDP is saying no to, on top of all the other resource sectors the NDP is opposed to.
It is frustrating. I know that the member for Saskatoon—Humboldt may have some other comments he would like to make about this.
BUSINESS OF SUPPLY May 21st, 2013
Mr. Chair, the Liberals admitted that they failed to get the job done. The NDP has told us that it wants to bring in a $23-billion carbon tax. Perhaps the minister could take a few minutes to talk a bit about the accomplishments of our government since we came to power.
BUSINESS OF SUPPLY May 21st, 2013
Mr. Chair, I thank the minister for the explanation on how important that legislation is to Canada.
I note that the NDP members have been very clear that they are opposed to resource development. They have been clear in the House that they stand against basically any type of resource development. However, one area of particular importance to me, especially being from Saskatchewan, is their notion, their theory, of Dutch disease.
The premier in my home province of Saskatchewan was very public about his disagreement with the leader of the NDP when he called resource jobs a disease. We are all familiar with his position on that. The leader of the NDP then called Premier Wall a messenger for the Prime Minister.
While completely lacking respect for the elected leader of Saskatchewan, more broadly it showed that the leader of the NDP had no understanding of how important this sector was to the Canadian economy. Particularly, he did not understand how important it was to the western Canadian economy.
Could the minister explain our position on the resource sector and whether he believes it is creating Dutch disease across Canada?
BUSINESS OF SUPPLY May 21st, 2013
Mr. Chair, it is a great pleasure to be here tonight.
I thank the minister for the speech on the importance of resource development to Canada's economy and particularly on how we are proceeding while protecting the environment. He has made it crystal clear the very stark contrast of our approach versus the NDP, whose members, we would argue, have abandoned our Canadian workers with their anti-development rhetoric and anti-development stance.
I am fortunate to come from my home province of Saskatchewan where we have a very strong resource sector with oil, potash and uranium production. These jobs are crucial to the Saskatchewan economy, which has been incredibly strong over the last few years. They have been incredibly important to the national economy because we have been able to provide some of the stability that has gone toward carrying us through the crises of the last few years.
However, throughout my time as a member of Parliament, businesses, municipalities and people in my riding have told me that the development of our resources have been held hostage to an environmental review system that does not balance our needs.
Last year our government introduced important legislation in this regard called “responsible resource development”. Could the minister take a few minutes tonight to tell us in the House how this legislation balances the need to protect the environment, while also ensuring that we have a review system that is not cumbersome or inefficient?
Questions on the Order Paper May 10th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, as of March 15, 2013, the total legal costs incurred by the Government of Canada through the Department of Justice for property value protection program claims that have entered into arbitration under the Port Hope area initiative is $170,545.
Natural Resources May 7th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Westlock—St. Paul for this timely question. The Minister of Natural Resources is in Europe this week to advocate in favour of Canadian jobs and Canadian natural resources.
The Leader of the Opposition takes a very different position. He said yesterday that he agrees with the claim that our resources are a curse. First a disease, then a curse. This is a real embarrassment to all of us that the NDP never misses a chance to oppose Canadian jobs. Our government is determined to defend Canadians, Canadian jobs and Canadian communities.
The Environment May 7th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, we would think that the New Democrats would stand up and say “thanks” today because it is our government that has improved pipeline safety in this country. We have a world-class regulator; they criticize the regulator. We have increased the number of inspections; they criticize that. We have doubled the number of annual audits; they are still standing up here criticizing that as well. We put forward new fines for companies that break environmental regulations; they stand up and criticize that as well.
Perhaps at some point, the New Democrats could join with us as we protect the environment and develop the resource industry across this country, which they hate.
The Environment May 7th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, companies in Canada are obviously required to comply with the National Energy Board rules and regulations. It was an NEB audit and inspection that revealed this issue, and that is what is leading the work to solve this problem. Our government has increased pipeline inspections and audits to ensure that Canada has the safest pipeline system in the world. This has contributed to an increase in reported incidents from 2011 to 2012.
The Environment April 30th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the National Energy Board in Canada is a strong, independent regulator. It is a world-class regulator that ensures pipeline safety.
Our government has taken action to prevent pipeline accidents and to prove our ability to respond to any incidents that do occur. For example, we have increased the number of inspections of federally regulated pipelines by 50%. We have doubled the amount of annual audits. We have put forward new fines for companies that break Canada's rigorous new environmental protections.
We are there for Canadian communities. We will protect the environment and develop the economy at the same time.