Laurin Liu

[The Environment, December 12th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the agreement concluded in Durban yesterday lacks ambition. Nothing will be done before 2015 and no one will have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions before 2020. These deadlines are far too long to stop global warming from becoming disastrous. Nevertheless, the Conservatives say they are satisfied with the results of the negotiations. It is that attitude that won us the fossil of the year award.

When will the government put the interests of Canadians before the interests of major polluters?

[The Environment, December 12th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, in Durban, the Minister of the Environment refused to say whether or not the government was pulling out of the Kyoto protocol. India's environment minister criticized the fact that Canada, which signed and ratified the Kyoto protocol, was considering withdrawing from it without so much as a good-bye. The government is breaking its promises to the international community and to Canadians who want leadership on climate change.

When will the government pull its own weight in the fight against climate change?

[The Environment, December 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's reputation continues to take a beating thanks to the government's inaction on the environment. Yesterday, the Minister of the Environment said that Canada's fossil of the day award came from the uninformed and was ideologically driven.

While we already know that the government does not listen to scientists nor environmentalists, now even China is shaking its head at us.

Canada's blocking progress at the Durban conference. If the government is so serious about creating jobs, why has it turned its back on the new green energy economy?

[The Environment, December 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, this government's failure to act in the fight against climate change is being criticized as far away as Africa.

A former minister in the Mandela government, Jay Naidoo, said he no longer recognizes Canada and described the Conservative government's actions as a betrayal towards Africa.

The unrestricted development of the tar sands will have repercussions on the entire planet.

Does this government realize that the green economy is the way of the future and will it do its fair share within the international community?

[The Environment, November 29th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, after seeing the Conservatives drag their feet for six years, major trade partners are slamming doors in our face. They disapprove of the government's environmental choices. Not only are the Conservatives isolating us from the rest of the world, but their inaction is costing us jobs here in Canada.

Why does this government refuse to understand that it is possible to create good-quality jobs while investing in clean energies, as our partners are doing?

[The Environment, November 29th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, by neglecting the environment, this government is jeopardizing the health of our families and of the economy. The Conservatives are turning their backs on the international community so that they do not have to be accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions. Reneging on their commitments to Canadians and other countries is a strategy that hurts everyone.

Why is the government refusing to table a credible plan that takes the environment and the economy into account?

[Aerospace Industry, November 25th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the aerospace industry in the Laurentian region has seen significant growth in the past 20 years and now includes about 20 companies and 4,000 direct jobs. The riding of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles has a number of world-class small and medium-sized businesses working in this sector. I am thinking of Patt Technologies and Metcor in Saint-Eustache, as well as DCM Aerospace and TMH Canada in Boisbriand.

Although the aerospace industry is booming, it is nevertheless a cyclical industry that must face foreign competitors with better government support. The NDP has long proposed that we develop a concerted industrial strategy for the aerospace industry to better support innovation and promote the modernization of equipment. While this government is handing over a blank cheque to Lockheed Martin, it is avoiding coming up with a real policy that would secure the future for Canadian and Quebec workers in the aerospace industry.

[The Environment, November 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, according to the National Energy Board, oil sands production is expected to triple by 2035. Canada's 21st century economy cannot be based on the oil sands alone. Compared to other G20 countries, Canada ranks near the bottom in terms of clean energy investment. Instead of seizing the opportunity to be among the best, this government is simply twiddling its thumbs.

Will the government get out of the sandbox and follow the example set by the rest of the world?

[The Environment, November 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, it is not an environmental activist who said this but a former Conservative environment minister, who is calling for a sustainable plan for oil sands exports. On Monday, he even said that Alberta's oil sands industry has an extremely negative reputation on the world stage. He added that it was important that Canada be not only an energy producer but an environmentally responsible energy producer.

Will the government listen to its former environment minister?

[The Environment, November 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative environment minister said yesterday that Canada must improve the oil sands' environmental record. Jim Prentice said it himself: to do so will require work and investments.

If nothing is done, we risk losing access to markets such as Europe and the United States.

When will this government come up with a plan for the sustainable development of our resources?