Environment committee  Our network of protected areas play an important role in helping communities and the ecosystems they depend on to adapt to and mitigate impacts of climate change by protecting and restoring healthy, resilient ecosystems and contributing to the recovery of species at risk. Under the Species at Risk Act, Parks Canada is responsible for the protection of individual species found in our heritage places.

Environment committee  We will soon launch a public engagement process on our first-ever strategic assessment on climate change, which will provide guidance on how to consider greenhouse gas emissions in individual project reviews. We also heard from companies that they are looking for more clarity and certainty about the process.

Environment committee  Here's one of the factors: “the extent to which the effects of the designated project hinder or contribute to the Government of Canada's ability to meet its environmental obligations and its commitments in respect of climate change”. Minister, would you agree with me that one of those commitments is the targets we set in the Paris Agreement, yes or no?

Environment committee  We've been clear that when we do environmental assessments, we need to be taking into account our climate change plan and our commitments.

Environment committee  You just said we're not talking about the bill, that we're talking about the pan-Canadian framework on climate change. Now you're back to saying we're talking about the bill.

Environment committee  This government has not been transparent about what the carbon tax means for Canadians. The carbon tax is an essential element of the pan-Canadian framework on climate change. In fact, her officials have said it's a foundational element of that plan.

Environment committee  Would you agree with me that the success of the different tools you're using under the pan-Canadian framework on climate change will drive how close we get to our Paris targets?

Environment committee  We're talking about the pan-Canadian framework on climate change that the government brought forward.

Environment committee  I have referenced the section of the bill that says every single project is going to have to be evaluated in terms of the impact the project will have on the climate change targets that Canada has committed to, and the degree to which a project will move forward will be driven by the fact that the tools that are being used are either successful or not.

Environment committee  My question is that in regard to the section I referenced, which requires every project to be evaluated in terms of the impact it will have on our climate change plan, if your carbon tax is not as successful as you suggest it is, would you agree that it may be less likely that projects in the future will not be approved because the rest of the tools in your plan are not achieving their desired goal?

Environment committee  There will be an opportunity for Canadians to weigh in on the strategic assessment of climate change. We've committed to doing a strategic assessment. It's an opportunity to provide clarity to proponents, to stakeholders, and to the agencies as to how climate change will be considered in project assessments.

Environment committee  I'd just like to again confirm that, because the Conservative Party of Canada has supported meeting our international obligations under the Paris Agreement, I would assume that the party would also support the Government of Canada's ability to meet its environmental obligations and support that the commitments in respect to climate change be considered in any project review.

Environment committee  —be evaluated in terms of the climate change plan the minister has brought forward, and part of that climate change plan is a carbon tax. Canadians have a right to know what the impact on them is and whether it reduces emissions, Madam Chair.

Environment committee  We believe that the environment and the economy go together, that we can rebuild trust by making decisions based on science, evidence, and indigenous knowledge, taking into account the real impacts of climate change and how projects fit within our climate plan, and also providing certainty for proponents. As I expressed very clearly, we believe that by engaging on the front end you can have shorter timelines on the back end, which was something that proponents had very clearly expressed to us.

Environment committee  They wanted a government that was going to believe in climate change—