Jonathan Wilkinson

[Natural Resources, February 18th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, which is the law under which this project is being assessed, the legislated timeline for cabinet to make a decision on this particular project is the end of February. As it can with any project, it can approve the project with conditions, it can reject the project or it can extend the legislated timeline.

We are certainly actively considering this project and all the relevant information before we make an appropriate decision.

[Natural Resources, February 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected this government to protect the environment, to take climate action, to grow the economy and to advance reconciliation. They also expect this government to oversee fair and thorough environmental assessments.

This is a major project that is under active consideration by our government. Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the decision on this project must be made before the end of February. The government will consider a range of factors, including economic and environmental impacts, in making a decision.

[Employment, February 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the economy and the environment certainly need to go together as we move forward. The hon. member should know that with the project in question, the issue is the emissions of greenhouse gases, which is entirely a provincial issue.

Premier Higgs has a climate plan and a target, and it is up to him to determine how he is going to meet those emissions targets.

[The Economy, February 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Guelph for his advocacy on strong climate action.

This year's world circular economy forum will be the first in North America, and it is an opportunity for Canada to showcase its talent on the world stage. Canadian companies are at the forefront of clean technology, and many of our homegrown innovations involve zero waste.

By bringing together business and thought leaders from around the world, and sharing innovative ideas that help us reuse, remanufacture and create new economic opportunities, Canada can be a leader in clean jobs of the future.

[The Environment, February 4th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, certainly the issue of climate change is one on which I think we share a lot of common views with the hon. member's party. It is an existential crisis. We need to work very quickly to address that, both through achieving our targets in 2030 and exceeding them, but also with respect to moving toward net zero by 2050.

An international emissions trading regime is certainly part of that conversation. We were very clear at COP in Madrid that any international emissions trading regime would have to have integrity, would have to be transparent and would have to have no double counting. It would have to be able to show that emissions reductions were actually emissions reductions. That is our position.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, February 4th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we certainly recognize that 2019 has been a challenging harvest year for farmers in terms of climate and trade disruption. We are listening and we are committed to finding practical solutions to the issues that farmers face. We have taken numerous steps to ensure that the realities of the agricultural sector are reflected in our pollution pricing policy, including by exempting fuels for on-farm use.

I am certainly working closely with my colleague, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, to look at all options.

[The Environment, February 4th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, this government came to power and developed the first real climate plan this country has ever had, with 50 different initiatives that have identified over 275 megatonnes in reductions.

During the recent campaign, we pledged to go beyond the 2030 targets established under the previous government. We have committed to net zero by 2050. We are working to develop the pathways there, and we will be working with all Canadians to do that.

Climate change is an existential threat. We understand that. We know we need to do this for our grandchildren and our children. We are acting.

[Natural Resources, February 4th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the Impact Assessment Act was developed to ensure that good projects would move forward in the right way. We are very proud of the work that was done on the Impact Assessment Act. It will ensure that we are considering all of the environmental effects and ensure that good projects actually do move ahead.

Of course, we were very pleased today to see that the Trans Mountain pipeline will be going ahead. That is an important project for the energy sector and an important project for all Canadians.

[The Environment, February 3rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Mississauga—Lakeshore for his advocacy on this issue.

Last week, our government released a robust science assessment of plastic pollution, which confirms that plastic pollution is harming our environment. In the coming weeks, we will announce next steps under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This will include steps toward a ban on harmful single-use plastics in 2021, and broader strategies to manage the life cycle of plastics. By tackling plastic pollution, we can seize on the economic opportunity of the circular economy and protect our environment.

[Natural Resources, February 3rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the government will take a number of factors into account in making a decision about this project, such as our promises to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, work toward reconciliation and create good jobs. This is a major project that our government is examining very closely. As required by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, a decision will be made by the end of February.