Jonathan Wilkinson

[Natural Resources, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his continued advocacy for Atlantic Canadians. He and his Atlantic Liberal colleagues stood up against the Conservatives who opposed Bill C-49. This includes Conservative members from Atlantic Canada whose communities would benefit from the good, sustainable jobs and economic opportunities this bill would bring.

This week, Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick agreed to advance collaboration and progress on delivering clean, affordable and reliable electricity while phasing out coal by 2030, driving to a net-zero electricity grid by 2035. This would fight climate change and create good jobs and economic opportunity across Atlantic Canada.

[Oil and Gas Industry, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague knows that greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change. We must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in every sector of the economy.

We have a very detailed plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and grow a prosperous, low-carbon economy. We will continue to do that.

[Finance, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, we are going to create good economic jobs. We are going to ensure economic opportunities for Canadians. We are going to ensure affordability at the same time.

[Finance, October 18th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear the member of the opposition speak about Seaspan. It is a very important member of the business community in my riding of North Vancouver.

I was very pleased, a couple of years ago, to join the Prime Minister to announce the commitment to build an additional 18 Coast Guard vessels, worth almost $16 billion, which will provide well-paid employment for the employees of Seaspan for decades to come.

[Oil and Gas Industry, October 17th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, one of the very sorry things about the conversation coming from that side of the House is the complete rejection of the need to ensure we have a sustainable environment going forward, that the price of entry, in terms of building a strong economy, means actually having a view about environmental sustainability.

When that party was in power, Conservatives gutted the environmental assessment process. They destroyed the faith that Canadians had that we were protecting the environment and we were respecting indigenous rights. We have put in place better rules. We certainly respect the decision of the court, and we will be making the appropriate amendments to ensure the environment is protected and the economy moves forward.

[Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, October 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, we need to move quickly on this bill. We are in a global race. It is important that Canada seize the economic opportunities and move to ensure that we are actually creating good jobs.

It is certainly very important that we move it to committee to have a robust conservation and hear from witnesses. That is essentially what we are trying to do today. Once again, this is an enormous opportunity for Atlantic Canada.

It is astounding to me that the Conservative Party is opposing this. I do suggest that they talk to their respective premiers, who support this bill and want to see it move forward.

[Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, October 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I would say that folks in this chamber are certainly entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.

The only climate target that the government has ever had was a 2030 target. We actually moved to upgrade that target from a 30% below 2005, to 40% to 45%. It is a target that we will achieve. It is the only target that we have ever had.

When Conservatives stand up and talk about the fact that the Liberal government has missed a target, they are simply saying things that are not true.

[Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, October 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, as I said, it is important to move this legislation to committee expeditiously and eventually out of Parliament in order to seize the economic opportunities that are there but will not be there forever. There are other countries that are looking at seizing those.

I would say to my hon. colleague that, in terms of climate change, absolute emissions in Saskatchewan have gone up. They have not gone down. Saskatchewan is one of the few provinces in this country that has no climate target, in terms of actually reducing emissions by 2030. We would love to see Saskatchewan join the ranks of many provinces and territories in this country that have a fulsome climate plan that includes a climate target.

[Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, October 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, as I said, this legislation was developed collaboratively with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and with the Province of Nova Scotia. The actions taken under the accord acts will actually be done jointly between Canada and each of those respective provinces.

I would suggest to my hon. colleague that he may want to have a conversation with his premier about all these issues.

To be honest, it is exactly the fact that they are not even willing to engage in a conversation about how the environment fits relative to economic development that shows the problem with the Conservative Party. It is willing to simply throw out the environment, to trample on the environment, in pursuit of only the economic opportunities. There has to be a balance. Economic opportunities have to be pursued in a manner that is environmentally sustainable.

Canadians simply cannot trust the Conservative Party on the environment.

[Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, October 16th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, certainly, provisions are in place to ensure that there are conversations with fishers and fish harvesters. There are a lot of examples around the world of how a thriving fish industry can coexist with an offshore wind industry, for example, in the United Kingdom.

The whole point of this exercise, in terms of economic development, is to ensure that long-term, sustainable benefits flow to communities in Nova Scotia and in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is exactly why the premiers of both of those provinces are extremely anxious to see this move through Parliament, so they can move it through their legislatures and we can get going with respect to having a regulatory structure in place that will enable projects to move forward.