House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 46% of the vote.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the minister announced that those targets will be announced this spring. The voluntary system did not work. That is why we are moving to a mandatory regulatory system where targets will be set. This is a government that is set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and we are considering the domestic carbon market.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question regarding the domestic carbon market. The minister made it very clear that he will not entertain sending billions of dollars outside of Canada. Those dollars are going to be staying here in Canada. The Montreal exchange could be set up right now. There is nothing stopping that, but what we need is a regulatory, mandatory framework and that is Bill C-30. That is part of the notice of intent.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I guess the question is, who misled the House in the last Parliament? Was it that member or was it the environment minister, but the House was misled. Al Gore said,
My friends in Canada tell me that across party lines and in all regions there is very strong support for Canada, once again providing leadership in the world, fighting above its weight class and showing moral authority to the rest of the world.
We are getting it done.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the inconvenient truth is that the Liberals did nothing for 10 years.
The deputy leader of the Liberal Party said he thought his party got into a mess on the environment. The leader asked whether it was easy to set priorities. He said it was not fair.
What is not fair is the mess that the Liberals created. We are getting it done. They did not. We are.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, it appears he is still in a bad mood.
The previous Liberal government misled Canadians when it announced $6 billion in climate change announcements but only spent $1.3 billion. What did Canadians get from that? Zero.
This government is taking action on the environment. We announced $230 million for clean technology in ecoenergy, $300 million for smarter energy for Canadians through the energy initiative, $1.5 billion for renewable energy technologies, $200 million to fight the pine beetle, and $30 million for the Great Bear Rainforest.
We are getting it done.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the minister quoted Professor Boyd from UBC. It is unfortunate that the member was in a bad mood yesterday. He attacked the minister. He attacked the Auditor General at the committee. He must have got up on the wrong side of the bed.
The government is committed to working with all parties, including the opposition. We need to have a real plan. The plan is Bill C-30, not Bill C-288. I encourage the member to start working and stop obstructing.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, talking about Russia, it was that party that wanted to send billions of dollars to buy hot air credits.
Professor David Boyd told the legislative committee that “to achieve that kind of [Kyoto] target through domestic reductions would require a rate of emissions decline unmatched by any modern nation in the history of the world, except those which have suffered economic collapse, such as Russia and Ukraine”.
That party did not get it done and Canadians have lost confidence.
This government is getting it done.
The Environment February 9th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, wearing a green jacket also does not get the job done.
This is what the media is saying about the Liberals' Kyoto plan. Jeffrey Simpson says:
Why I'm laughing at the Liberals' Kyoto motion...There is no conceivable way that Canada can meet its Kyoto targets “in their entirety.” If [the leader of the Liberals] or the opposition MPs who agreed with him don't know this, they should be sent to a special cram school on Kyoto. If they do know this--and chances are, they do--they are being political[ly] disingenuous or intellectually dishonest or, worse, both.
Business of Supply February 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure where the member has been for the last year. This government has taken action on the environment. We have accomplished more in the last year than the former Liberal government would have dreamed was even possible.
Only weeks ago in British Columbia we announced $30 million for the Great Bear Rain Forest. On the other coast, the government has invested $280 million to clean up the Sydney tar ponds. Why was this not done previously? Because of empty rhetoric and broken promises.
The Conservative government is a government of action. We will work with the province of Quebec. We want to and need to work together to see the passage of Bill C-30, Canada's legislation to clean up the environment in Canada and for the benefit of our globe.
Climate change is a real issue. We have to put down partisan politics. We have to work together for the health of our planet to stop climate change. I encourage the member to stop the rhetoric. Let us work together.
Business of Supply February 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member well knows, I have met numerous times, on the environment committee and the legislative committee, with representatives from the Bloc.
He knows well that this government is committed to cleaning up the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He knows well that one of the first people our new environment minister met was the minister of the environment in Quebec.
We are working collaboratively. We are working together and we respect one another's roles in cleaning up the environment, but the fact is that the Bloc has no hope of ever getting anything done for Quebeckers. It is this government that is committed to doing so.
The hon. member also knows well that the former Liberal government did nothing on the environment, and he knows that this government has already taken action.
We will work collaboratively. We will work together. We look forward to his assistance so that we can move forward as a government in cleaning up the environment.