Laurel Collins

[Oil and Gas Industry, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the member is genuinely sincere in his desire to do more, and I agree that the Conservatives' climate denial is beyond disheartening, but Canadians do not want to have to choose between denial and delay. They do not want to have to choose between bad and worse. The reality is we are in a climate emergency. We do not have time for Liberal excuses. We do not have time for Liberal broken promises. We definitely do not have time for a government that caters to oil and gas interests. Our planet is burning.

When will the government stop disappointing Canadians, stop giving breaks to its rich friends and stop listening to oil and gas CEOs who are raking in record profits and unreal bonuses while polluting our planet, and instead start treating this like the emergency that it is, close the loopholes and bring in a hard cap on emissions?

[Oil and Gas Industry, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by wishing the parliamentary secretary a very happy birthday.

In the past few years, Canadians have witnessed record-breaking temperatures, extreme weather events, forest fires and flooding. People have been evacuated from their homes and whole towns have been wiped out, yet under the Liberal government, big oil and gas are polluting more than ever.

A recent report shows how these oil giants are significantly under-reporting their emissions. In fact, emissions from the oil sands are potentially 6,300% higher than what is reported by the industry. Scientists have confirmed what indigenous communities from northern Alberta have been saying for decades. These massive corporations are threatening their health, threatening their livelihoods and poisoning their land. This is making people sick.

Oil and gas companies are pumping out carbon emissions at shockingly high rates, and the government can and should make these companies use some of their record-breaking profits to clean up their mess. Oil and gas CEOs are giving themselves raises, being rewarded with obscene bonuses, and making millions of dollars a year, while Canadians are struggling just to get by. They are worried about how they are going to pay rent and worried about how they are going to make their mortgage payments.

At the same time, Canadians are facing record-breaking temperatures, the worst wildfire season on record and devastating weather events. We are in a climate emergency, so why does the Liberal government refuse to hold oil and gas giants accountable?

After dragging their feet and having to be pushed to finally deliver a cap on emissions for the oil and gas sector, the Liberals announced a watered-down cap, full of loopholes, that had oil and gas lobbyists' fingerprints all over it. The oil and gas sector makes up the biggest portion of Canada’s emissions, and environmental experts have said that Canada must have a hard cap on oil and gas emissions if we have any hope of meeting our climate targets.

The Liberals have set a target of reducing Canada’s overall emissions by 42%, but they are giving their friends in oil and gas a break. Not only did they give oil and gas a lower target, but they have included the option for companies to buy offsets and essentially buy their way out of the cap. They admit their plan will only reduce oil and gas emission by about 20%. This means every other sector and everyday Canadians will have to pick up the slack.

The Liberals are making life harder for people, workers and families. Can the member explain to me why they are making life easier for oil and gas CEOs?

[Committees of the House, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat the question that was just asked, because I did not hear an answer.

The question asked about the impact of the climate crisis on farmers, on the cost of food and on families.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: (a) how did the government determine the projected sectoral contribution to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions pathway from the oil and gas sector of 110 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030; (b) what measures were modelled to determine the projected sectoral contribution from the oil and gas sector of 110 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030; and (c) for each of the measures identified in (b) what is the projected reduction in megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund, from 2021 to present: (a) what is the total amount of funding committed, broken down by project and funding stream; (b) what is the total amount of funding spent, broken down by project and funding stream; (c) for the projects identified in (a), what (i) are the annual greenhouse gas emission reductions, (ii) are the projected long-term greenhouse gas emission reductions, (iii) is the total area (hectares) restored, (iv) is the total area (hectares) conserved, (v) is the number of direct jobs created, (vi) is the total area stewarded for greenhouse gas mitigation, (vii) is the total area secured for greenhouse gas mitigation, (viii) is the number of Indigenous-led projects supported?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to the commitment in the December 16, 2021, mandate letter for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada as swiftly as possible, and no later than 2030: (a) what steps has the government taken to advance this commitment, including details and dates of consultations with (i) provinces and territories, (ii) stakeholders and the public; (b) for the years 2015 to 2022, broken down by year, how many tonnes of thermal coal have been exported (i) from, (ii) through, Canada; (c) for the years 2023 to 2030, broken down by year, how many tonnes of thermal coal are projected to be exported (i) from, (ii) through, Canada; and (d) what are the associated greenhouse gas emissions for the thermal coal exports identified in (b) and (c)?

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to any polling data obtained by the Privy Council Office concerning grocery affordability, since January 1, 2023: (a) what are the details of all polling conducted, including (i) who conducted the poll, (ii) the start and end dates of when the poll was conducted, (iii) the number of participants, (iv) the questions asked, (v) the results of the poll, (vi) the value of the contract related to the poll?

[Oil and Gas Industry, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are worried about the climate and they expect their government to take action.

People are struggling to pay their bills, yet oil and gas CEOs are polluting our planet while raking in record profits and bonuses. In some cases, they have upped their own salaries by 75%.

For far too long, the Liberal government has been stacking the deck in favour of billionaires at the expense of Canadian workers and the environment.

Will the Liberals rein in these obscene bonuses by making oil and gas CEOs pay what they owe?

[Khalsa Aid Canada, December 13th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, every winter Khalsa Aid Canada has its winter drive in memory of Mata Gujri. She and the younger sons, or Chote Sahibzaade, of the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, were made to suffer the elements during winter while in captivity.

In Canada, inflation and food insecurity disproportionately impact women and acutely impact our youth. One in three food bank users is a child. This year, in Victoria, Khalsa Aid Canada provided food aid to Rainbow Kitchen, The Mustard Seed Street Church and the UVic and Royal Roads University food banks; hot meals to Our Place shelter; and tents and winter items to the Justice Van Society and the Peer2Peer project. Khalsa Aid Canada also continued to make its annual donations to youth-focused organizations, such as Threshold Housing, Out of the Rain Youth Shelter and the Foundry clinic.

Women and children, especially in single-parent families, are struggling with the high cost of living. I thank Khalsa Aid Canada for all they do.

[Oil and Gas Industry, December 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are patting themselves on the back for their botched emissions cap. After two years of delays, they have announced a watered-down oil and gas cap that will not even cut emissions enough to meet the Liberals' own target. It will only meet the Conservatives' old target, and these are the same Conservatives who do not even believe this is a crisis.

The Liberals are throwing young people's futures under the bus to make life easier for oil and gas companies. Will the minister get serious and fix the emissions cap?