House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2008, with 57% of the vote.
The Environment December 3rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the targets will be the main focus in Copenhagen. A year ago, in the coalition agreement, the Bloc was pushing for a North American carbon exchange. Now, it wants European-style targets and efforts.
Does it want an integrated carbon exchange with the Americans or with the Europeans? Those are two very different things. The Bloc cannot have it both ways.
The Environment December 2nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, that is not the case. We have to develop a sustainable economy. Yvo de Boer, of the United Nations, had this to say today about the American target:
I think that the U.S. target is quite ambitious and President Obama has, of course, to remain within the political realities that he is confronted with.
I would like to remind this House that Canada has the same target as the U.S. If UN leaders consider the American target to be ambitious, ours must be as well.
The Environment December 2nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I met with Line Beauchamp and we discussed this matter. Our policy is simple, to enter into an agreement with the major emitters in Copenhagen and to harmonize our targets and regulations with our partner, the United States, while establishing a carbon trading system.
President Obama announced a reduction target of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. We will make the necessary adjustments to have the same target.
The Environment December 1st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, Canadians certainly do trust this government because our position is clear and it is consistent. It is an international treaty. It is harmonized North American targets.
The entire world is focused on targets at Copenhagen. The debate at Copenhagen is about what targets people are putting forward. The Liberal Party comes forward with a policy document that calls for no targets. That is the Liberal way. Kyoto had no targets. We never know if the Liberals are for or against carbon taxes.
The Environment December 1st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, our position is clear, and that is harmonized North American targets within an international framework.
It is hard to take the Liberal Party seriously on this matter. The Liberals signed Kyoto, with unrealistic targets. Then beyond that, they spoke about a North American cap and trade with North American targets. Then they voted for European targets. It could not possibly get any stranger until they brought out their policy document that had no targets.
The Environment December 1st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Europe. It is exactly a year ago today that the Bloc, the NDP, and the Liberals, as coalition partners, voted and brought in a coalition accord. That accord, of course, called for a North American cap and trade system.
Since that time, there has been a bit of confusion among the coalition partners. The Bloc and the NDP still search out European targets for Canada. The Liberals seem the most confused. They talk about North American targets, they vote for European targets, but at the end of the day, they brought in a policy last week that has no targets.
The Environment December 1st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, the government's plan is quite clear, and that is to search out a binding international agreement at Copenhagen, and from there, to ensure that we have, on a harmonized basis, continental targets and continental rules and regulations with respect to a cap and trade system.
The United States president last week announced a reduction target of minus 17% by 2020 from a 2005 base. The Canadian policy for the last two years has been minus 20% by 2020 from a 2006 base.
These are virtually identical, and we will make whatever minor adjustments are necessary to make them absolutely identical with the same baseline.
The Environment November 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, anything that has been put forward by the Bloc in this House and supported by the other opposition parties would lead ultimately to isolationism by this country and economic damage. Let us be clear about that.
President Obama announced his targets last week. They are virtually identical to the targets that were announced by the Conservative government in this country almost two years ago.
We will continue to work together internationally. We will continue to work together with the United States. We both want to see a binding agreement that applies to all major emitters. We want to see continental progress and a cap and trade system and harmonized regulations. That is what we will continue to do. That is more than we have ever seen in this House from any other government.
The Environment November 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, we announced another target two years ago. President Obama also announced his target last week. The two targets are almost the same. They are quite similar. We have been working closely with the United States, as well as with other countries.
We will pursue our efforts to harmonize our policies and emissions exchange regulations with the United States. The Bloc Québécois should support our efforts.
The Environment November 26th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians know the only ones really fending for themselves are those in the Liberal Party and it is not going so well with their on-again, off-again carbon tax.
Our domestic policies will be harmonized on a continental basis, integrated with an international treaty that we are currently negotiating at Copenhagen. One thing the Conservative government will never do is fly over to Copenhagen, pull a target out of the air that is ill-suited to our industrial base, to our geography and agree to damage the Canadian economy. That will not happen on our watch.