Kim Rudd

[Natural Resources, May 11th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the TMX project is of vital strategic interest to Canada, and it will be built.

Our government has initiated formal financial discussions with Kinder Morgan, the results of which will be to remove uncertainty from the project. We are also actively pursuing legislative options that will assert and reinforce the federal jurisdiction in this matter, which we clearly have.

Hundreds of thousands of hard-working Canadians depend on this project being built. Protecting our environment and growing our economy are not opposing values. On the contrary, each makes the other possible.

[Natural Resources, May 11th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives had 10 years to build a pipeline to ship Canada's resources to new global markets. They built zero. The Conservatives had 10 years to consult indigenous and local communities. They ignored them. The Conservatives had 10 years to rally the country around the need for new pipeline capacity to end the discount on landlocked Canadian crude. They did not. The Conservatives had 10 years to address environmental concerns. They failed.

We will take no lessons from that party on how to champion resource projects.

[Indigenous Affairs, May 11th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action in creating thousands of good-paying, middle-class jobs in the energy sector.

Some New Democrats believe, as we do, that pipeline approval and climate action are not competing interests but share priorities. NDP Premier Rachel Notley said, and I quote, “We don't have to choose between the environment and building the economy.”

NDP deputy premier Sarah Hoffman said, “We saw what happened with Conservative governments in the past, who move forward on a do-nothing approach.... we saw...that we're getting real results.”

We have an extensive consultation process, which was conducted, and this pipeline will be built.

[Indigenous Affairs, May 11th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP's recommendation was based on the participation of 400 intervenors, 1,250 commentators, and extensive scientific and technical evidence, so we went further. We extended consultations and struck a ministerial panel. The panel heard from an additional 650 Canadians at 44 public meetings. It received over 20,000 online submissions and had more than 30,000 responses to their online questionnaire. This project was the subject of the most exhaustive review of any pipeline in Canadian history.

[Natural Resources, May 11th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I will remind the member opposite that there are 43 indigenous communities that indeed have signed impact benefit agreements, 33 of which are in the province of British Columbia.

The TMX project is of vital strategic interest to Canada, and it will be built. Our government has initiated formal financial discussions with Kinder Morgan, the result of which will be to remove uncertainty overhanging the project. We are actively pursuing legislative options that will assert and reinforce the federal jurisdiction in this matter, which we know we clearly have. Protecting our environment and growing our economy are not opposing values.

[Natural Resources, May 11th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government knows that protecting the environment and growing the economy are not mutually exclusive, as the two parties opposite would have Canadians believe. We can do both together.

The true failure of leadership here is the inability of the leader of the third party to unite his party around a project in the national interest. We will stand up for the environment, for Canadian workers, and we will get this project built.

[Natural Resources, May 10th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government has initiated formal financial discussions with Kinder Morgan, the result of which will be to remove uncertainty overhanging the project. We are confident in our jurisdiction in this matter. We are also actively pursuing legislative options that will assert and reinforce the federal jurisdiction in this matter, which we know we clearly have.

Hundreds of thousands of hard-working Canadians depend on this project being built.

[The Environment, May 9th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, carbon pricing, as we know, is the key to any credible climate plan because it is a cost-effective way to significantly reduce pollution while driving clean innovation and creating new jobs. A price on carbon creates a powerful incentive to cut pollution. It encourages people and businesses to save money by making cleaner choices like better insulating their homes or upgrading to more efficient equipment.

Carbon pricing is a foundation of Canada's clean growth and climate action plan. Four out of five Canadians live in jurisdictions that are already pricing carbon pollution today. By ensuring all parts of Canada price pollution at the same standard, we will help ensure we drive down our emissions and grow our economy.

[The Environment, May 9th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know polluting is not free. Severe weather due to climate change is already costing Canadians billions of dollars a year in insurance costs. Across the country, Canadians have experienced first-hand devastating wildfires, extreme flooding, severe droughts, and stronger storms.

Canadians overwhelmingly support action on climate change and a growing economy. We know pricing pollution works. It is a low-cost solution that fights climate change, encourages innovation, keeps our economy strong, and creates good middle-class jobs.

According to the World Bank, nearly half the world's economy is pricing pollution today, including China, California, and the EU. Canada's five major banks, along with many companies in the consumer goods, energy, and resources development sectors also support putting a price on pollution.

A price on carbon pollution gives households and businesses a powerful incentive to save money by making choices like turning down the thermostat and taking transit, or investing in clean solutions like more efficient appliances and vehicles.

We have released an analysis that shows that putting a price on pollution across Canada will significantly reduce carbon pollution while maintaining a strong and growing economy. Our analysis found that a price on carbon across Canada could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 million tonnes in 2022. This is as much as taking 23 million to 26 million cars off the road or shutting down 20 to 23 coal-fired power plants for a year. It also shows that carbon pricing reduces pollution without hurting Canada's GDP.

National GDP is estimated to grow by about 2% a year between now and 2022, with or without carbon pricing. This does not include the huge opportunity that clean innovation spurred by carbon pricing will have in helping Canadian companies create jobs and compete successfully in the global shift to cleaner growth, an opportunity the World Bank estimates will be worth $23 trillion globally between now and 2030.

Real world experience backs that up. Last year, the four provinces with a price on pollution, B.C., Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario, led the country in economic growth. Putting a price on pollution will make Canada's economy stronger over time, help create new economic opportunities, and good middle-class jobs.

[Business of Supply, May 8th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, competitiveness is one of the issues that our price on carbon would address. As I mentioned in my remarks, there are over 46 countries and over 26 subnational governments that have put a price on carbon pollution. As Canada, we are seen as the leader, and we want to be the leader. We certainly do not want to be the laggard.

I would also remind the member opposite that the revenue that comes from the price on carbon goes back to the provinces and territories, where they can choose to do what they wish with it, whether it is lowering taxes for citizens, giving companies additional money to help innovate and reduce taxes, or building hospitals and schools. Provinces do different things with the money as they see fit, but all of those revenues are going back to the provinces and territories.