Jonathan Wilkinson

[Carbon Pricing, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, addressing and fighting climate change should not be a partisan issue. Now more than ever, I think we all need to work together to bring together the best ideas to fight climate change. Our plan to put a price on pollution will ensure that there is certainty for businesses and individuals going forward and that we reduce emissions in a manner that is both efficient and affordable. We certainly hope that the party opposite will come to the conclusion that addressing climate change is actually important and bring forward a credible plan of its own.

[Carbon Pricing, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, certainly while COVID is the challenge of our lifetime, at the present time we cannot forget that climate change is an impending existential threat to humanity. Putting a price on carbon pollution is part of our critical plan to attack climate change and reduce emissions. We do so in a manner that ensures affordability, and if the hon. member would look at the plan and those who actually are in federal backstop jurisdictions, the vast majority of Canadian families get more money back than they pay in the context of the carbon price.

It is the most efficient way to reduce emissions. It is an important part of fighting climate change in a manner that is affordable, and certainly it is something—

[Natural Resources, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question, but the things she said are completely false.

As I said, our government said that the permit in question was issued in the 1990s by the Government of Quebec and that this matter is under provincial jurisdiction.

Our government respects moratoriums imposed by the provinces and Quebec on new offshore oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

[Natural Resources, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the health of our marine areas and their biodiversity is a priority for our government. That is why we committed to protecting 25% of Canada's oceans by 2025 and joined the Global Ocean Alliance.

Our government respects Quebec's moratorium in the St. Lawrence and on new offshore oil and gas projects in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The permit in question was issued in the 1990s by the Government of Quebec.

[Infrastructure, February 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I would correct the record. We have been working very actively with the Government of Manitoba on this issue. The Government of Manitoba has now provided the first tranche of information to the Impact Assessment Agency. We continue to await the second tranche of information that would allow us to proceed through the process, as it should be done, as it is always done. We are working very productively with the minister of infrastructure in Manitoba on this issue.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, contained in the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s mandate letter is a commitment to develop further protections for and take active steps in the cleanup of the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Simcoe and other large lakes.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is currently exploring approaches to further protect and restore vital freshwater ecosystems to support the delivery of the minister’s freshwater-related mandate commitments, including Lake Simcoe.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the proposed clean fuel standard regulations were published in Canada Gazette, part I, on December 19, along with the regulatory impact assessment statement, which includes provincial, regional, and sectoral considerations. These documents can be found at http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2020/2020-12-19/html/reg2-eng.html.

[The Environment, December 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, Canada takes its international obligations on the management of waste very seriously. Canada took a leadership role in negotiating the amendments to the Basel Convention and we tabled these amendments this fall.

The United States is not presently a party to the Basel Convention on the transboundary movement of waste. The agreement that we are putting into place with the United States will ensure that waste that moves between our countries is handled in a manner that is consistent with the Basel Convention. Through this agreement, we can ensure that waste that moves between our two countries will be managed in an environmentally sound way.

[Natural Resources, December 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we have implemented a lot of measures to deal with the climate emergency under the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change.

Of course, we know that we need to do more. In the coming weeks, we will do more with a new plan to fight climate change.

[The Environment, December 1st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, using cleaner fuels in our buildings, vehicles and industries is one of the biggest steps we can take to reduce emissions in this country. The clean fuel standard will cut pollution by up to 30 million tonnes in 2030, which is equivalent to taking seven million cars off the roads. It is going to create enormous opportunities for farmers and companies producing renewable fuels, hydrogen and biofuels. It will encourage investments in energy efficiency that will help Canadians save money. It will assist with the faster deployment of electric vehicles. It is something that will drive innovation in this country, business opportunity and environmental sustainability.