Jim Carr

[Natural Resources, April 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, yes. We undertook the most exhaustive consultation on pipelines in Canadian history.

What we actually did was add additional layers of consultation, principally with indigenous communities. The reason we did that was because the Federal Court of Appeal, on the northern gateway case, said that the Harper government failed to consult. The Harper government.

We had a choice: repeat its mistakes or do better. We did better.

[Taxation, April 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition has absolutely no plan. That party had no plan for 10 years because it had absolutely no idea what it means to grow the economy while being respectful of the environment. That party did not respect the environment and it did not grow the economy.

On the question of energy, just last week the CEO of Cenovus said, “I would tell you that the support we have received from the federal government—that support would not have been evident a few years ago.”

[Taxation, April 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians asked us to plan for a better and safer future. They asked us to take concrete and thoughtful actions to tackle climate change. We listened and we heard Canadians. Our plan would cut pollution equivalent to closing 20 coal plants, while the economy and the GDP continue to grow in cleaner ways. That is the plan Canadians asked for, and we will continue to deliver.

[Taxation, April 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, for decades people have been talking about taking action on climate change, but nothing has been done.

We have taken action. We have put forward a world-class oceans protection plan. We have strengthened our environmental assessments, and we have put in place a price on carbon pollution to grow the economy in cleaner ways.

The only idea the Conservatives have is the Harper Conservative approach of doing nothing yet claiming they will achieve our targets. It is clear the Harper Conservative approach is alive and well in the party opposite.

[The Environment, April 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the safety of Canadians and the protection of the environment are our top priorities with respect to nuclear waste management. As a result of robust participation by Canadians in the review process, the proposed near surface disposal facility at Chalk River labs would house only low-level material to ensure its safe, secure, and long-term storage. The environmental assessment, conducted by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, will look at every aspect of the project to examine any potential impacts. The public will be engaged.

[Natural Resources, April 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we are very confident this pipeline is within federal jurisdiction. We have heard this answer from many courts for a long time, including the Supreme Court of Canada. The movement of natural resources from one province to another is a federal responsibility and this government took a decision, because this is in Canada's interest.

Members know the jobs that will be created, the expansion of our export markets, the better price we will get, at the same time that we spend an historic $1.5 billion on an oceans protection plan. This is a policy that many Canadians—

[Natural Resources, April 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, there are literally dozens of access to information requests that come in to all departments every day and they are available for the Canadian public to look at. As a matter of fact, if people want to go to the NRCan website, they will see literally thousands of emails and opinions that have been offered. Why would the hon. member not just assess what was actually done rather than what he is alleging was said, and he will know that this was the most exhaustive consultation on pipelines—

[Natural Resources, April 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure, as the hon. member knows, this was a historic consultation with indigenous peoples.

Let me remind him that we appointed a ministerial panel, which, by the way, included a former NDP premier of Yukon. It heard from 650 Canadians at 44 public meetings in Alberta and in British Columbia. There were 20,000 email submissions. The online questionnaire received over 35,000 responses. This project was subject to the most—

[Natural Resources, April 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite has actually said that he thinks the environment is important. That is some progress. Now, why do we not talk about indigenous consultation? Why was it necessary for this government to add many months of consultation with indigenous communities? It is because the Harper government failed. The Harper government was told that it had failed by the Federal Court of Appeal, so we had a choice: repeat its failure or install a better process. We did the sensible thing and established a better process.

[Natural Resources, April 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of joining the Prime Minister and the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities in Fort McMurray just two weeks ago to do exactly what the hon. member wants us to do.

I can make the same arguments that the hon. member has made about the jobs created, about getting a better price for our oil, and about expanding our export markets. However, I would like to hear members opposite talk about the oceans protection plan. I would like to hear the members opposite talk about a world-class marine response. Why can the members not think about those two things and put one paragraph—