Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by 1,500 Canadians. The petitioners call upon Parliament to take measures in order to allow a larger number of young people to do volunteer work in Canadian communities or abroad. Volunteering gives young people an opportunity to engage in a rewarding experience, to acquire useful skills for their future and to contribute to the betterment of society.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. Pursuant to the order of reference of Wednesday, October 4, 2006, the committee has considered Bill C-288, An Act to ensure Canada meets its global climate change obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, and has agreed, on Thursday, December 7 2006, to report it, with amendments.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, for his information, the people in the opposition, as he called them, voted in favour of the Kyoto protocol. My bill talks about assuming our responsibilities for environmental issues: the Conservatives voted against that. It talks about limiting the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere: the Conservatives voted against that.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development has just concluded its work on my private member's bill to ensure that Canada respects its Kyoto protocol commitments. This bill, which represents tangible action today for the benefit of future generations, will therefore go to third reading.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment is hiding out so she does not have to explain why she abandoned the Kyoto protocol. On November 7, she was to appear before the Senate environment committee, but she did not. The media are looking for her. She is hiding. Today, she was supposed to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development, but once again, she failed to show up.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, we know that Canada has dropped Kyoto. We know that we have lost respect on the world stage. We know that the Conservatives have cut programs like the one-tonne challenge and EnerGuide. We know that they have cancelled programs for wind energy and renewable energy production.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, a large majority of Canadians voted for parties that want to start fighting global warming right now. The public is worried about the serious and expensive consequences that the Conservative government’s inaction will have. The public wants immediate action. The international community wants to act right now; a large majority of this House wants to act right now; Canadians want to act right now.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, this morning at the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development one thing was made clear: we must take action right now. The minister’s plan makes no provision for the short term: no objectives, no timetable, nothing. Everything is being put off until the year 2050.

Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. When responding to one of my questions, the Minister of the Environment referred to the candidate I support in the current leadership race. For her information, I would just like her to know that the candidate I support clearly stated that he would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, and perhaps even more, in 2050 compared to 1990 levels.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, last Friday, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans made a rather surprising statement for a member of the Conservative cabinet. He said he was concerned about the impact of climate change. Asked to comment on the demise of nearly all fish stocks by 2050, he said, “—then there is the temperature.

Fisheries and Oceans  Mr. Speaker, he is trying to muddy the waters. A major study shows that there will be no fish left in our oceans by 2050. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is saying that that is due, in part, to the impact of climate change. At the same time, his colleague, the Minister of the Environment, is saying that there is no urgency and that it is not necessary to set targets before 2050, when there will be no fish left.

Canada-EU Summit  Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Industry appointed Dr. Christopher Essex to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Last April, Mr. Essex sent a letter to the Prime Minister to tell him that allocating funding to research on climate change would be senseless.

Canada-EU Summit  Mr. Speaker, not only are the Conservatives determined to destroy the Kyoto protocol at international summits, but they are also finding a way to attack research being done here in Canada. By appointing Dr. Christopher Essex, who denies the existence of global warming, the Conservatives are trying to sabotage research done on this phenomenon.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, in June, the Minister of the Environment said she was “enthusiastic” about Quebec's environmental plan to fight climate change. Yesterday, she contradicted herself, saying she was “concerned” to justify her refusal to hand over the $328 million Quebec is demanding.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, I discussed the impact of climate change on public health, melting ice caps in the far north, and coastal flooding—in short, on the future of our children and grandchildren. The Conservatives mocked me. Yesterday, Nicholas Stern, a former economist with the World Bank, talked about these same consequences, but in terms of numbers, of financial impact.