Jim Prentice

[The Environment, April 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I advised the House of the names of three distinguished Canadians who have taken on leadership responsibilities in the working groups under the clean energy dialogue.

Today I can advise the House that Canada has become the first federal authority in North America to impose tailpipe emission regulations for carbon emissions from vehicles beginning in 2011.

Our carbon emissions approach will be harmonized completely with the approach being followed by the Americans. This is continental leadership, environmental leadership, making our industry more competitive and fulfilling our obligation with respect to the environment.

[The Environment, April 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, everything is always partisan with the Bloc.

It is hard to take the Bloc members seriously. In terms of peculiarities, their peculiarity in the House of Commons is that they signed a coalition document in December binding themselves to a North American cap and trade. Two months later, they support in this House a private member's bill that is entirely inconsistent with a North American cap and trade regime.

How can anybody take seriously what comes from that end of the House of Commons?

[The Environment, April 1st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the story today is not in Bonn but right here in Ottawa. This afternoon I presented the automobile industry with regulatory standards limiting exhaust emissions. These standards reflect both the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the fuel economy standards in the United States. That is the story today. The Bloc should support our efforts and objectives regarding industry and the environment.

[The Environment, March 31st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that is not the case. The Bonn conference is currently underway and these meetings are just one stage before the Copenhagen meeting. The member opposite knows the Canadian Ambassador for Climate Change, Mr. Michael P. Martin. We have had discussions and meetings in Poznan and Mr. Martin is leading a team in Bonn to ensure that Canada is one of the leaders in fighting climate change and introducing a global plan.

[The Environment, March 31st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, he began this parliamentary session fearmongering on Chalk River. He moved on from there to accusing the premiers, including his own brother, of eco-fraud. He has now engaged in this anti-American diatribe. What kind of a performance is that?

We have a clean energy dialogue with the Americans. We are working in concert with them on a host of energy related environmental matters.

[The Environment, March 31st, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. I am pleased to advise my hon. friend and the House that I have put forward to our American neighbours our idea of how the joint working group should proceed. There are three very respected Canadians who have been put forward as the Canadian leads on these: Linda Hasenfratz, who is the CEO of a respected company, Linamar; Mr. Charlie Fischer, who is the former CEO of Nexen, is to head a second working group; Mr. Jacques Lamarre, who is the former chair of SNC-Lavalin, is to head a third working group. They are three extraordinarily respected Canadians.

[The Environment, March 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the hon. member is concerned about rising sea levels. I can certainly confirm that I have seen a rising level of correspondence from the hon. member on this subject.

The real challenge is to reduce emissions. That is why we are engaged with Todd Stern, who I have recently spoken to, the American negotiator on international climate change, leading up to negotiations in Copenhagen. We will pursue a binding international agreement that reduces emissions and pursues long-term transformations in technology that also applies to all major emitters. Those are the Canadian principles upon which we will proceed.

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the details of the financial offer presented to the project proponents on January 19, 2009 have not been made public as they are subject to cabinet confidence and will be part of a formal negotiation process between the Government of Canada and the Mackenzie gas project, MGP, proponents.

As owner of the resource, the Government of Canada has a role to play in ensuring that, if the project proceeds it unfolds in a manner that provides maximum benefits to Canadians from all perspectives: business, socio-economic and environmental. In particular, commercializing Canada’s vast northern gas resources would greatly accelerate the economic development of the NWT and aboriginal communities, consistent with the government’s northern strategy and sovereignty objectives; generate significant GDP impacts across Canada; and offset the forecast decline of the western Canadian sedimentary basin, thereby enhancing Canada’s energy security. The Government of Canada, however, has been clear that the MGP is a commercial venture and that the ultimate decision as to whether the project proceeds rests with the private sector.

It has been estimated that the range of potential GDP impacts that would result from the development of the MGP would be $40 billion to $150 billion over 30 years, direct and indirect GDP impacts, depending on the extent of induced development, with employment gains ranging from 107,000 to 280,000 person-years. Furthermore, all provincial and territorial economies would benefit from the increased demand for materials and labour during the construction and operation phases of the project, and from the induced gas exploration and development activity it is expected to generate.

[The Environment, March 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc should set aside its partisanship and support the government in our efforts to protect the environment.

In particular, the clean energy dialogue that the Prime Minister and the president have struck provides the way forward. It holds remarkable promise in North America with respect to the responsible utilization of energy resources, the consumption of resources, clean energy research and the effective use of water.

[The Environment, March 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc is misinformed about this issue. I have said a number of times that Canada is and will be responsible in developing all energy sources in Canada. That principle underlies our clean energy dialogue with the United States, and it also underlies hydroelectric projects and the use of water in extracting oil from the oil sands.