Stephen Harper

[The Environment, January 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I have read the reports. I can tell the hon. member for Red Deer I have not received an invitation from the United Nations Secretary-General. However, if we did, we would accept.

There are two things we would certainly want to convey at that conference. The first is that we all recognize this is a serious environmental problem that needs immediate action. Canada's decision to do nothing over the past decade was a mistake, and we want to do better.

At the same time, to have a truly effective international effort, we must have the participation of all major emitters, including countries like China, India, the United States and others.

[The Environment, January 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, on the question of the limousines, I completely agree with the position of the leader of the NDP on this.

The difficulty is that we have drivers who must be here and who are not allowed a room to wait in the House of Commons in cold weather. I think the House of Commons should rectify that situation.

[The Environment, January 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I have not received an invitation. But if I were to receive one, Canada would take part.

[Aerospace Industry, January 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the military decides on the needs of the armed forces. The government's role is to sign contracts at the best price on behalf of taxpayers and to ensure that Canada will reap the benefits. The distribution of these benefits is determined by the contracting company and its ties to the industry. It is not determined by political interference.

That would also apply if we were to build the Bloc leader's high-speed train.

[The Environment, January 31st, 2007]

Again, Mr. Speaker, this government has made it clear in the election campaign and since that we accept the science, and that is why we are acting.

Once again, the only denier here, in his own words, is the Leader of the Opposition. I suggest that he should rename that dog for all his various denials. Perhaps he could call the dog Clean Air or perhaps he could call him Fiscal Imbalance, or maybe he could even call his dog the Sponsorship Scandal.

[The Environment, January 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, this government is taking action. During the election campaign, this government recognized the science of climate change and it still recognizes the science.

However, in 2007, it is the Leader of the Opposition who, when explaining his record, said: “But about clean air, it's certainly not true that we have one of the worst records.” The very opposite is true. Our carbon dioxide emissions are the worst, and so are our sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions. The leader of the Liberal Party should stop denying the science.

[The Environment, January 31st, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, this government has run on, and has introduced, the clean air act because we believe we have to take action on the science of climate change.

The only person who denies the science here today is the Leader of the Opposition, who, when asked about emissions, said this month on CTV Newsnet, “But about clean air, it's certainly not true that we have one of the worst records. It's one of the cleanest air you may find in the developed world.”

Our emissions are near the bottom of the developed world, not just on carbon dioxide, but on nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide. The leader of the Liberal Party should stop denying the science.

[The Environment, January 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I say once again that this is the first government in history to say that it is moving forward with a comprehensive plan to regulate and reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions across the country. We want to see this job done, for my children and for everyone's children, and I would urge all members of Parliament to work to pass the legislation.

[The Environment, January 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary. We are the first government in the history of this country to propose concrete action to deal with air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

We hope that the House will act and adopt this bill.

[The Environment, January 30th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the only real issue is this: if the Bloc Québécois thinks that the tar sands are so terrible, why is it asking that the revenues generated by the tar sands be included in equalization payments?