House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2019, with 36% of the vote.
Natural Resources November 30th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, these projects will create 22,000 direct, good-paying jobs for Canadians, including Albertans, and generate billions of dollars for our economy.
On this side of the House, we are supporting Canadian workers, and I encourage members opposite to join us.
Natural Resources November 30th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, as we have said, we accomplished more in one year than they did in a decade. We listened to Canadians about how the environment and the economy go hand in hand—
Natural Resources November 30th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the TMX and Line 3 projects received government approval because they met our standards on the environment, but not all pipelines meet these strict criteria.
The Government of Canada has directed the National Energy Board to dismiss the application for the northern gateway pipeline. After consultations, it has become clear that the project is not in the best interests of the local affected communities, including indigenous people.
The Great Bear Rainforest is no place for a pipeline, and the Douglas Channel is no place for tanker traffic.
The Environment November 25th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of the energy sector to our economy and to the livelihoods of Canadians. We have been clear that natural resources projects must go forward in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The government's final decision on each major resource project will be informed by facts and evidence, including public consultation and the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples.
Each major resource project has to be judged on its own merits, in order to determine if it is in the overall Canadian best interests.
Natural Resources November 14th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, one of our core responsibilities as government is to help get our natural resources to market sustainably. The only way to do that is to restore trust in the way we evaluate our major resource projects. During the 2015 election, we committed to modernizing the National Energy Board, and we have just appointed a panel that will do just that.
In January, we announced our interim strategy, reviewing major resource projects to ensure meaningful consultations with indigenous people and nearby communities, and a clear assessment of potential greenhouse gas emissions.
Natural Resources November 14th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, our government believes in developing resources sustainably through a process that carries the confidence of Canadians.
The United States, indeed, has its own process by which it determines whether energy projects serve its national interests.
The proponent, or the company in this case, must work with the incoming administration to get its project approved.
We look forward to working with the incoming administration on building a North American energy partnership that will benefit both countries for years to come.
Natural Resources November 14th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, Canada's relationship with the United States always has been, and always will be, one of the country's most important ones. We will continue to work with our continental partners to build a North American energy partnership that will benefit all countries for years and generations to come.
Specific to this project, the company will decide whether or not to reapply for a U.S. presidential permit, as the Canadian portion of the pipeline, as the member well knows, was approved in 2010.
Our government looks forward to working with the incoming administration on this and other projects.
Natural Resources November 4th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, the amount provided to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is a commercial loan. Like the Province of Quebec, we recognize the importance of clean energy in the fight against climate change. We are pleased to work with the provinces on energy files.
Natural Resources November 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the member opposite expects that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission operate in the best interests of Canadians. I want to repeat and reassure all Canadians that our government believes the health and safety of Canadians is the single most important consideration related to activities of the nuclear industry in Canada.
I also want to respond to the member's concern around appointments, and let him know that appointments will be made in the new, transparent way. There have been a number of announcements in the House about appointments. As the member rightly notes, there are vacancies and another one coming up. Those appointments will reflect the gender, ethnic, and regional diversity of our country.
I thank the member for his comments and his concerns, and I look forward to working with him on this very important file.
Natural Resources November 3rd, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay, for his work and contribution on the natural resources committee.
Canadians rightly expect that our government place the highest priority on health, safety, and security as they relate to the nuclear industry in Canada. I am proud to say that we do. We expect the work of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to be safety focused, and we expect the commission to operate in a way that is transparent and open to hearing the concerns of others. We are committed to ensuring that Canada's nuclear sector remains a dynamic industry committed to the highest standards of safe, secure, and reliable operations because nothing else will do.
Canada's nuclear regulator plays a central role in all of this. The CNSC regularly undergoes external peer reviews by international nuclear experts, including those from the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency to allow for the sharing of best practices and to verify the high standards of its operations.
In order to ensure that the CNSC has the technical capacity to regulate the nuclear industry, more than 80% of employees in mid- and senior-level positions have degrees in nuclear engineering, chemistry, physics, and environmental and radiation science fields. Canada has established one of the most stringent nuclear regulatory regimes in the world, and it is the responsibility of the commission to oversee its implementation and to ensure that Canada's nuclear industry meets the highest standards of safety and security.
That being said, the anonymous letter received by the CNSC raised important issues that would concern any Canadian. That is why the CNSC took immediate action to review those claims. The resulting report, presented at the commission's public meeting in August, was reviewed by the commissioners, who had a chance to ask questions of nuclear safety experts regarding the content of the letter.
Other issues raised, such as a way for employees to voice technical and scientific disagreements are also taken seriously by the CNSC. As a science-based organization whose success depends on hiring and retaining technical experts, the organization encourages its staff to provide their best professional judgments in the review of nuclear licences and other related activities. On occasion, this can result in differences of professional opinion, which is why the CNSC has mechanisms for staff to discuss those disagreements. Resolving scientific differences of opinion in a productive way is crucial to the CNSC being able to carry out its mandate. CNSC has those mechanisms in place to address such disagreements.
It is my expectation and that of the minister that the CNSC and its staff keep the health and safety of Canadians as their highest priority and that they operate in an open and transparent manner to ensure Canadians can have full confidence in our nuclear industry.