Justin Trudeau

[Natural Resources, May 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, when Rachel Notley announced her plan for the environment, NDP members here in Ottawa applauded her approach and commended her for her vision. However, today, they are forgetting that Rachel Notley's plan to combat climate change was a three-pronged approach, which included limiting greenhouse gas emissions from the oil sands, putting a price on carbon in Alberta, and building a pipeline to get Alberta's resources to new markets.

That is the plan they applauded. What they are forgetting today is that the environment and the economy go hand in hand.

[Natural Resources, May 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives tried for 10 years to get our resources to markets other than the United States, and they failed, and now that we are actually securing access to new markets, securing Canadian jobs, and securing Alberta jobs, their ideology is getting in the way.

I remind them that the great Peter Lougheed knew that public investment in resource development is essential to move forward as a country. That is exactly what we are doing for Alberta and for Canadians.

[Natural Resources, May 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the rigid ideology that the Conservative Party is showing is costing jobs for Albertans. The Conservatives failed for 10 years. Perhaps a little history lesson is in order.

Progressive Conservative leaders like Peter Lougheed understood that public investment in our resource sector was important to get our resources built and to markets. For 10 years, the Conservatives tried, and failed, to get our resources to markets other than the U.S. We are standing up for Alberta and Canadian jobs.

[Natural Resources, May 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, what we have seen here is the Conservatives trapped by their rigid ideology and therefore unable to protect jobs and create jobs for Albertans. For 10 years, they tried, and failed, to get a new pipeline built to markets other than the United States. They were unable to do that. What they seem not to understand is that public investment has always been part of developing the resource sector.

We are proud to make sure we are supporting the growth in the economy, the good jobs for Albertans and all Canadians, while we protect the environment.

[Natural Resources, May 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, across the country, people are talking about the pipeline investment we made yesterday, but the Conservative Party is actually talking about old news. The Conservatives cannot talk about the news that we had, which moves forward on protecting jobs for Albertans, standing up for Albertan workers and, indeed, workers from across the country who get benefits when we get our resources to markets other than the U.S. They tried, and failed, for 10 years to get our resources to markets other than the U.S. They failed, and we got it done. No wonder they cannot talk about it.

[Natural Resources, May 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we have been consistent in demonstrating that we understand that growing the economy and protecting the environment must go together. As we move forward on a national plan to reduce climate change, at the same time, we also defend Canadian jobs right across the country, particularly in Alberta.

We are happy to move forward on demonstrating that we understand what the Conservatives and the NDP simply do not: there is no choice to be made between the environment and the economy when it comes to creating good jobs for Canadians and into the future.

[Natural Resources, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, just to correct the record, we have committed to and are on track to phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by the year 2025. To do this, we announced in our first budget the expiration of the tax writeoffs on capital investments in LNG facilities. In budget 2017, we announced the elimination of certain tax credits for exploration expenses in the oil and gas sector.

We are developing our resources while protecting our environment, including safeguarding our oceans and combatting climate change. Our government understands that a clean environment and a strong economy must go hand in hand.

[Natural Resources, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, every year Canadians lose about $15 billion because we do not have access to a new market for our oil resources. Getting this pipeline built will fix that, will lead to better jobs, and will also allow us to continue to achieve our carbon reduction targets by bringing in a national price on pollution.

These are things that Canadians understand go together. We grow the economy. We protect the environment. We do them both together. That is what makes a difference for Canadians.

[Natural Resources, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the NDP is bent on looking for excuses to block this pipeline, which is going to create jobs in Canada and help us export our resources to new markets where we can get better prices. Furthermore, we are going to show leadership on climate change by putting a price on carbon pollution across the country and by protecting our coasts with a world-class oceans protection plan. We are going to keep showing that the economy and the environment go hand in hand.

[Natural Resources, May 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, what the NDP does not understand is that choosing between the environment and the economy is a thing of the past. We have to create jobs while protecting the environment. The fact that we are losing $15 billion a year because we do not have a secondary market for our oil resources costs every Canadian something. We reviewed and approved this Trans Mountain project with a better and more sound process. It is in the national interest. That is why this pipeline will be built.