Rona Ambrose

[The Environment, May 9th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I continue to engage international counterparts on the issue of climate change. In fact, I am very proud that our government has taken the position we have in our approach to international talks on climate change. We are taking an inclusive approach.

It is important for Canadians to understand that 73% of countries in the world are the large emitters and 73% of emissions are not caused by countries that are in the protocol. We have to talk to countries that are within the United Nations framework and countries outside the framework. That is the direction the government is taking.

[The Environment, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am always proud to get up to talk about our made in Canada solutions and our made in Canada plans.

Under the former Liberal government we could have seen up to $600 per Canadian family in taxpayer money shipped overseas to countries like Russia and China with no accountability to the environment here at home. Under our made in Canada plan, we will see all Canadian taxpayer money invested right here at home in Canadian solutions for the environment.

[The Environment, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with most of what the hon. member said. I would like to make sure he understands that under the Liberal Kyoto plan we could have seen up to $600 per Canadian family shipped overseas on international credits.

I can assure the member that under our made in Canada plan our Canadian transfer values will be spent right here at home on our own environment.

[The Environment, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the hon. member as we develop our plan.

Our government has made a clear commitment to invest in the Canadian environment right here at home. Our Prime Minister has shown the courage and the leadership to address this pressing issue with a strong commitment to a made in Canada plan to clean up our environment. We will continue to work with industry, our colleagues in the House, the provinces and Canadians in the development of our plan to ensure that we can show real results on the environment.

[The Environment, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, today unfortunately, after years of Liberal rule, we have fallen behind in every single industry sector compared to the U.S. on pollution control. The Liberals did not make the necessary investment in clean transportation.

We have taken significant steps to invest in cleaner transportation and invest in environmentally friendly choices for Canadians to use that transportation. I hope that the hon. member will work with us and every one in the House to develop our clean air act to deal with industrial pollution.

[The Environment, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, our government and our Prime Minister are very concerned about the health risks associated with pollution. Last year, the member across the way might like to know, there were 53 smog advisory days in Ontario, 35 in Quebec and, for the first time ever, we had 10 winter smog advisory days in Canada. That is the Liberal record.

On those days, children with asthma and elderly people with respiratory diseases cannot leave their homes. We took positive steps forward in the budget to clean up the air that Canadians breathe by investing in cleaner types of transportation and encouraging Canadians to use that transportation.

[The Environment, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we made a positive investment in Canadians by encouraging Canadians to get out of their cars and into public transit and investing in new greener public transportation systems. We are giving Canadians the tools to clean up their own environment.

I would like to share what the mayor of Toronto said about our public transit passes, which is that it would be a very good thing as part of the transit strategy and it also includes funding.

We are happy today to tell the mayor of Toronto that yesterday we did a very good thing and introduced our transit pass and made a real investment in green transportation.

[Kyoto Protocol, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the only model I am interested in is one that benefits Canadians first. Under our made in Canada plan, Canadian taxpayer dollars will stay right here in Canada and will be spent on our own environment here at home. Our made in Canada plan will invest in Canadian solutions, Canadian technology and Canadian communities.

In our plan, Canadians come first. I would just like to tell the hon. member that my Canada also includes Quebec.

[Kyoto Protocol, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, our government made a clear commitment to invest in the Canadian environment right here at home. Our Prime Minister has shown the courage and the leadership to address this pressing issue with a strong commitment to a made in Canada plan to clean up Canada's environment.

We will continue to work with industry, the provinces, environmental groups and Canadians in the development of our plan to ensure that we can show real action on Canada's environment.

[The Environment, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to address the hon. member's concerns. I would like to let him know that during the election, when we announced our transit pass tax policy, the Sierra Club said, “I think it's a very good move on the Conservatives' part”.

The other thing I would like to remind the hon. member of, as he stands in his place as the Liberal Party of Canada environment critic, is he is on record as saying that the Kyoto agreement was basically written on the back of an airplane napkin on the way to Kyoto, and on December 10, he voted against Kyoto.