44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 24, 2021 02:00PM
- Nov/24/21 10:21:27 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today. As this is the first opportunity I have had to thank the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola for their continued support, I would just thank them all. It is a big honour.
Let me begin by also congratulating all members on their election to this new Parliament. While there will undeniably be things we disagree upon, let us be mindful that Canadians sent us here to Parliament to find agreement and consensus.
I am deeply saddened that my first words in this new Parliament are in this debate while many of my constituents, in communities such as Merritt and Princeton, are facing unique and serious hardship as a result of flooding and the serious repercussions of the aftermath of that flooding. Indeed, as members shall hear from my colleagues, this devastating situation has impacted, and is impacting, other regions of British Columbia.
Let me begin by stating an old but important fact: Excrement runs downhill. I mention this because in many small rural communities, the most critical and important infrastructure works as follows: the community drinking water, be it sourced from a well or dammed lakes or rivers, is treated in whatever manner the community can afford and pumped to a community reservoir. From there it typically feeds via a gravity system down through the community to the wastewater treatment facility. The wastewater treatment facility is often located near a lake or a river, where treated effluent can be discharged safely.
The challenge of this basic design is that whenever there is flooding, it immediately runs downhill and overwhelms the river or lake. Yes, there is also some type of flood control and typically some infrastructure, be it dams, dikes or whatever, but once that infrastructure is compromised there is rarely any secondary line of defence. As the water levels rise with the flooding, it creates a situation where one of the very first pieces of community infrastructure that is compromised is the wastewater treatment plant. This is exactly what occurred in Merritt.
Once the wastewater treatment plant is compromised, the ability of a community to function is compromised. It does not end there. Once floodwaters have breached a wastewater treatment plant, those waters are now contaminated and considered toxic, and by extension unsafe. They essentially create a toxic cesspool.
The higher the waters rise, the more the contamination spreads. Once residences have been submersed and compromised, the community's water system is now also compromised and unsafe. This, of course, means the community they live in is essentially unlivable and unsafe. The reality is that next to nothing in their homes or in their civic infrastructure is designed to be submerged in toxic, contaminated, unsafe flood water.
Ultimately, this leads to evacuation orders. In British Columbia, our emergency notification system is not as capable and as ready as it could be. Evacuating thousands of citizens on very short notice is a serious logistical challenge. Where do they go? How do they get there? Seniors in care homes need to be evacuated, transported, and new care homes found. Others with mobility issues and those who lack their own transport are in serious trouble. Worse, when flooding brings mud and other debris, once-navigable streets become unnavigable to emergency vehicles and first responders.
If the storm has also taken out power lines or transmission lines and other communications infrastructure, such as has occurred in British Columbia recently, suddenly wireless communications are compromised. How do people get help? How do those emergency responders get notification about those who need help? These are all situations that people in Merritt, Princeton and elsewhere have faced.
In one local indigenous community, the bridge was washed out. It was the only way in or out of that community. There was no bridge, no power, no ability to evacuate and a compromised ability to communicate. Frankly, we are all extremely fortunate there were not more deaths as a result of this disaster.
In this case there was only one variable with all these serious challenges that made the critical difference, and that variable was the people. The people who live in Princeton and Merritt were the difference. They saved their neighbours, the vulnerable, their own families, friends and pets.
These are the people who are the unsung heroes and now they need our help. Many went to communities such as Kelowna or Kamloops, where in many cases they found evacuation centres that were overwhelmed. They found there was no place to go, no immediate assistance available. In reality, the evacuation centres and the provincial response could not keep up with the sudden, intense demand.
This left many people on their own, many living in their vehicles. Some found motels, but they did not have the funds to pay for them. As others have shared, their lines of credit on their credit cards are now full and they have no idea how they will pay that bill at the end of the month. Some, we should not forget, were trapped because the roads became unpassable for them.
The challenges from our compromised transportation infrastructure were immediately felt. Within 48 hours, many grocery stores were largely empty. Imagine someone having left their hometown of Merritt with literally nothing but the clothes on their back, and when they arrive in Kamloops or Kelowna the grocery stores are empty. That was the reality for many and is still a reality for some.
In the past days, members may have heard that residents are now allowed to come home. On the surface that sounds like a positive bit of progress, and for some it certainly is. Let me explain what coming home really means. We all know in many cases there will be a serious mess. Anything immersed in water must be removed and destroyed. That is a huge job in itself, and all that contaminated material will end up on the street, where it must be moved and properly disposed of. This also creates serious challenges.
That is where Princeton is right now. The mayor begged for Canadian Armed Forces personnel to help. We know there are Canadian Armed Forces boots on the ground now in B.C. to help. Fortunately, earlier today those personnel arrived in Princeton to provide this much-needed assistance. I am thankful for their service. I am thankful they are there.
These are just some of the challenges facing these citizens as they return home. Let me explain another challenge. Aside from removing their belongings and the serious mess left behind in their home, when people return they are likely to find either a red tag or a pink tag attached to their home. What does that mean?
If someone has a pink tag, it means there is a possibility the gas meter was submerged in flood water or that the gas appliances may have been impacted by water. If this is the case, the gas is now shut off and a licensed natural gas contractor has to be contacted to assess the natural gas system and relight the appliances.
If someone has a red tag, it means the gas meter was submerged in flood water and the gas meter is now shut off and locked. This requires a licensed gas contractor and serious work to rectify. As I am sure all members can appreciate, even in a large city it can be a challenge to obtain the services of a gas contractor. Imagine the challenges in a small community, where the demand is huge given these situations.
Who pays for these gas contractors and the expensive work required? What if someone's last dollar or line of credit was used up staying at a hotel? What does a person do? These are very real questions people in Merritt and Princeton are asking themselves right now.
While local residents are facing these challenges, let us not forget that many who call these communities home and are facing these challenges are also community leaders, such as those who work in the civic yards. The mayor in council, civic staff, first responders, highway maintenance, police and paramedics and others are under tremendous pressure right now. They not only have their own problems to deal with at home, but must get their communities up and running.
I mentioned earlier the need to get sewer waste water plants up and running to flush out city lines, and in many cases repair those lines because they are broken. Princeton has already had to authorize drilling another well.
This could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars not afforded for in the city budget, and here is one of the biggest problems: Currently, the disaster financial assistance arrangements program only covers 80% of the cost. At a time when a local government is facing a disaster and virtually all civic infrastructure is compromised, an 80% contribution from senior levels of government is not enough. In normal times, 80% seems great, but I spoke to Mayor Spencer Coyne today, and he says it is way above their ability to pay. It is tens of millions of dollars, that 20%.
This creates enormous stress on civic leaders who are the decision makers, but what choice do they have? If they cannot fully pressurize a water reservoir, they cannot have fire protection at a time when they most likely have gas leaks in their communities. While local government staff tries to restart all of the basic infrastructure that we all take for granted, let us keep in mind that in many of these communities the rental stocks were already very low. In places like Merritt and Princeton they were near zero before this occurred.
For example, Collettville, a section of Merritt, was hit the hardest by the flooding. It will be the last part to be able to have citizens return. Can members imagine a senior seeing on the television what looks like their modular home floating away, with all they had in it? How can they find shelter in a community they have called home for decades if there are no alternatives?
I have been told by Mayor Linda Brown that without some form of rapid housing from senior levels of government, some people will never return to Merritt because there is nothing for them to return to. She has expressed willingness to discuss potential municipal sites for some rapid housing, and I hope tonight's discussion will result in something concrete for these residents. Mayor Coyne in Princeton has voiced a similar willingness to connect.
I would like, at this point, to take a moment and sincerely thank all of those locally elected officials, the support staff they have, the municipal staff and most especially our first responders. They are doing tremendously remarkable and amazing work in the most challenging and demanding of circumstances. Members should keep in mind that, while all of this is going on, they are in a race against time, because every night the temperature drops farther below zero, and each day less and less back above zero. The heavy winter freeze is setting in, and there is likely a two- to three-week window of opportunity before some activities will need to be put off until the spring. Let us be mindful that the forecast is suggesting that tomorrow there could be, in some parts of British Columbia, another 80 millimetres of rainfall and storm-like conditions.
I could spend the rest of my allotted time tonight talking about the serious challenge that people in my riding, the good people of Merritt and Princeton, are facing, as well as the indigenous communities in both the Similkameen and the Nicola valleys; however, I am going to stop. I have shared some of these challenges with the House because I believe it is critically important that we, as democratically elected members of this place, have an understanding of what these communities are going through, because in this place we can be, and I submit we need to be, part of the solution.
Communities such as Merritt and Princeton are just two examples. We know that in the Fraser Valley there is another situation, as well as in Hope, Spences Bridge and elsewhere. All of these communities need to do more than just rebuild. They need to rebuild and reinforce.
Let there be no doubt: Our climate is changing. In my riding, since 2017 we have witnessed the once-in-200-years flood of Okanagan Lake not just once, but twice. We have had the worst wildfire activity and smoke that has compromised air quality to levels never previously experienced. This past summer, and this has been said by other members, we also had the heat dome with record heat levels that resulted in people dying. Now there is flooding, with more severe weather in the forecast.
What can we do? I do not profess to have all the answers. The need to consult in partnership with local, provincial and first nations communities is paramount.
I can pass just a few observations. In 2016, a rock slide damaged the Oliver irrigation canal. This is a critical piece of infrastructure that serves the entire South Okanagan farming community. I should say this is not in my riding, but that does not change the importance of the example, especially considering this infrastructure.
The community was prepared to invest its fair share for the repairs. The province stepped up to cover its share, but when it came to Ottawa paying its share, the answer was no. The bureaucrats said that the project did not fit into any established grant programs, and that was the end of it.
This is a serious problem. When critical agricultural infrastructure does not fit the criteria of Ottawa, it is not the fault of the residents of the South Okanagan. That is the fault of the bureaucracy and the thinking here in Ottawa. Going forward, we need grant funding programs that meet the needs of small communities as opposed to the political needs of a government in Ottawa.
Another observation is that in many small rural B.C. communities, the water services are provided by irrigation districts. Currently, these irrigation districts are not eligible for any senior government grant funding.
Let us just think about that. This is a serious problem. These small communities need funds to protect their water system from the threats of our changing climate, yet by design they are excluded from senior government grant funds, despite the fact that the users of these systems all pay taxes to provincial and federal governments. This situation has gone on for years, but I submit that we can no longer continue to ignore it.
Speaking of things we have to contend with, I spoke with the regional director from the areas around the village of Keremeos, who sent pictures of the dikes that are failing in his area and water that is leaking and flooding into largely older modular homes, largely of seniors. He told me that if they fail, the RCMP and the ambulance and fire station within the village of Keremeos would be at risk, complicating an already difficult situation.
While we are here contending with the challenges of flooded communities today, we need to acknowledge that there are other small communities that teeter without sustainable arrangements for the fixing and maintenance of the water infrastructures.
I am winding down, but I have just a few more observations. Many rural and indigenous communities still do not have high-speed broadband or wireless service. Despite the fact that Canadians living in rural communities pay their taxes to fund an infrastructure bank, it has been structured by the Liberal government in such a way that it will not be able to provide any benefit for any small community in Canada.
No matter how we try to cut all these observations I have shared, Ottawa is part of the problem and not the solution. That needs to change. I do not really want to point fingers or blame. If anything, that is part of the problem itself. We continually debate what is ultimately an “Ottawa knows best” policy that continues to adversely impact small rural communities. As our climate changes, we must ensure that Ottawa provides resources that meet the demands of these small rural communities just as much as it does for our bigger centres.
I am hopeful that in the days, weeks and months going forward, as communities like Princeton and Merritt try to rebuild, we will have a federal government in Ottawa that will find ways to be there to support these communities rather than telling them they do not fit the criteria. That is a challenge we need to be up for. Failure is not an option. For every citizen facing a loss and tough times in British Columbia right now, let this be our moment to stand with them and be there to support them.
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- Nov/24/21 10:41:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a question on a different part of the community infrastructure, but I want to congratulate the member for his very obvious grasp of the essential elements in his communities. I think they are being well served.
Based on experience I had a long time ago when I was on the radio in Kamloops, we broadcasted to Merritt and we broadcasted to Princeton. If anything happened, people could turn on the radio and find out what was going on.
How did the broadcasters perform in your communities during this emergency?
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- Nov/24/21 10:42:07 p.m.
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I will not be able to answer that, but I do want to remind the member to address the questions and comments through the Chair.
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- Nov/24/21 10:42:20 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I asked the question of Michael Reeve from Q101, stationed in Merritt, because he was continuing to do his job as a journalist to make sure the public was informed of the policies and guidelines that were being taken, and he was evacuated. The difficulty with dealing with these kinds of cases is we that put journalists, first responders and local officials in such difficult situations, where they are trying to support their communities as much as they can, yet they have to deal with all the challenges that I have made out in my speech.
During the summer, I had an elected official who was actually evacuated because of fires. I was receiving calls from citizens who were complaining about his lack of attention, and I said that this person was trying to evacuate his home just like they were, so they should try to work with him. It is a tremendous challenge and we need to support one another so we can help the people in our communities.
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- Nov/24/21 10:43:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. The information that he provides is always very precise and well thought out.
He talked about how he spoke with a mayor and about how high the costs will be. Even if the federal government covers 90% of the cost, small communities still may not be able to cover the remaining 10%.
Should the federal government cover 100% of the costs? That is a valid question. Earlier, I was saying that it will cost a lot of money to make the transition but that it will cost more in the long run if we do not make it. Does my colleague agree that we need to start changing the way we invest and that we need to invest taxpayers' money in forward-looking solutions that work? I would like to know whether he agrees with those solutions.
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- Nov/24/21 10:44:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member raising the issue. Again, the mayors who requested that this be looked at really do not care if the 40% is coming from the province and the remainder is coming from Ottawa, or vice versa. They are just saying that they cannot afford this but they have to proceed with these repairs. They have to protect their communities. They have to get these things done. Quite honestly, they do not care who is doing what.
At the end of the day, we should be using some good, sound judgment. If a province is strong, has a tax base and is in a position to fund these things, then we should let it take the lead. I will also say that is why we are part of a united country, because sometimes some provinces are not going to be in a position where they can write that cheque. We need to use our best judgment, and that is where a national government would come into play.
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- Nov/24/21 10:45:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola for his speech and for bringing up the example of Oliver and the irrigation canal. It was one of the most frustrating issues of my career trying to get that project funded. The government actually fixed that problem after four years of lobbying and three infrastructure ministers. Unfortunately, it came too late for Oliver.
I would like to give the member the time to talk more about what is happening in Princeton and Merritt and what the future looks like. He painted a vivid picture of what the past weeks have been, but what does the future look like? What do they have to do?
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- Nov/24/21 10:46:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my fellow British Columbian for his participation here tonight and for sharing some of his knowledge and expertise. The community of Grand Forks, as he said, went through quite a process, and we are going to see the same things happen here. We are going to be running into it.
Right now, I hear from people who are saying that, if they are insured, they are being told that they do not get any support. When they go to their insurance company, they are told it is not going to cover everything. There are going to be some tremendous challenges on an individual or household basis. As I elaborated here, from a community perspective this is not easy. The Coldwater River has shifted at least a block over. Right now it is along a course over a gas line and utilities that were never designed to be underneath a river. These are large-scale challenges.
When I say how difficult it is for the municipal staff, just imagine what it is for a senior or a person with a disability to come home and find out they have to restart from scratch without assistance. Small communities need the help.
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- Nov/24/21 10:47:52 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to stand for the first time on behalf of Peterborough—Kawartha. I want to give a big shout-out to my friend Arnold Taylor from Curve Lake for this beautiful piece of indigenous children for those who did not make it home from residential schools, which he sent here to the House of Commons.
I also want to say hello to my children, who waited up for this moment. Mom is actually working.
I thank my colleague so much for his work and for everything that has been done. We have heard a lot about the financial restrictions and the economic impact of trying to find hotels and all of these things. Then we heard about being charged $5,700 for PCR tests to get necessities over the border.
Now we are hearing that it is being passed over to public health. What can we do? What are your suggestions on ensuring that these people are not held accountable for that?
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- Nov/24/21 10:48:46 p.m.
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I want to remind the member that she is to address questions directly through the Chair and not to the individual member.
The hon member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola.
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- Nov/24/21 10:48:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, first of all, I am delighted, and I congratulate the member for her election. I am also delighted that her children get to see her in action. I feel badly that they had to see 20 minutes of me to get to that.
Most important, there are so many challenges at an individual household and community level that this is where we really need to come together. The member for Abbotsford said it more than anyone else, that there really does need to be a continued partnership and information sharing and action. We can talk all we want, but there are people who are really suffering. At the end of the day, during a public disaster that is what government is supposed to do. It is supposed to act.
There will be some mistakes made, but it can be dealt with through better communication and a willingness to work together and to get it done.
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- Nov/24/21 10:49:53 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to focus on one aspect, which is that in disaster after disaster so many of us assume that our devices are going to work. Whether it is wildfires in the interior or wild storms on the coast, community after community discover there is no land line, no cellphone, no way to hear what is going on. I spoke at length with a deputy fire chief in Ashcroft once. I asked what they do when they are on evacuation alert and how their community know the evacuation was now on. This fire chief said, “We considered what to do for technology, and we have decided to get a really big bell for the fire station that we can ring”.
What does the hon. member think we can do to better network people in disasters for better preparedness and to get the information that they desperately need?
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- Nov/24/21 10:50:57 p.m.
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We will have a brief answer from the member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola.
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- Nov/24/21 10:51:00 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, you know there is no such thing as a brief answer from me, but I will try.
The leader of the official opposition was very wise in appointing, as his shadow minister for emergency preparedness, our member from Alberta. If we hearken back to the tornado that hit Ottawa, there were concerns around the lack of cellphone coverage, part of that being because of the infrastructure that runs these things and they often have a battery life of eight to 12 hours. It depends on each operator. The member did a motion that said we should be studying this at committee, and that we need to spend a lot more time asking about these things.
This is something under the federal jurisdiction. We need to know exactly what we can expect from our devices because we are so glued to them. Imagine people not being able to reach their child who has a cell phone during a disaster. These are things that we need to have an ongoing conversation about.
I appreciate the member and her contribution here tonight.
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- Nov/24/21 10:52:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country.
I am grateful to rise in the House of Commons for the first time as the member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, which is located on the traditional unceded territory of the Coast Salish first peoples, the Musqueam, the Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh. I am grateful to represent the residents of this incredible riding and to work hard on their behalf every single day.
I also want to thank my parents, my partner, my sister, my family, my community and my volunteers, who worked so hard every day to make this possible.
Like many British Columbians, my heart is heavy tonight and has been for the last several days, as we see the devastation, loss and hardship caused by extreme weather events, with a loss of property, of life and indeed of a sense of security.
This evening, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who are doing what they can to support British Columbians while we are dealing with the shocking effects of the flooding, which has caused so much distress, destruction and devastation across British Columbia.
Our hearts and thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones and those who are still missing.
It is a great comfort to know that in times like these, to echo what the Minister of National Defence said last week, Canadians will always come together to support one another. We have seen volunteers, first responders, everyday citizens and indeed our armed forces all step up to serve and support their fellow citizens.
We have already heard my colleague speak of the extraordinary efforts of our armed forces to help B.C. residents through this nightmare, evacuating people and pets to safety, delivering food and supplies, sustaining critical supply chains, supporting provincial planning and relief efforts, protecting and rebuilding critical infrastructure, roads and properties, and so much more. We know they will keep working to stabilize the situation for as long as they are needed. It is gratifying to know that we can count on the incredible men and women of our armed forces to come to the aid of Canadians, as they are doing right now in British Columbia and indeed as they have done across the country throughout the pandemic.
It is heartwarming to hear the stories of communities across our province rallying together, across difference, in support of their fellow citizens. I think of the Jewish Federation, which has raised almost $250,000; Islamic Relief Canada loading up vehicles with urgent supplies and providing emergency relief; the many gurdwaras across the province helping to feed thousands; and many more stories like this. This is the British Columbia of which we are so proud, and it is so good to know that at times like this we can count on one another.
It is almost eight o'clock in British Columbia tonight and there are people we all know who are not sitting down for dinner in their homes, who will not be settling in for a night in front of the television and who will not be picking up their kids from hockey or doing the normal everyday things they might have been doing. Instead, they are figuring out what comes next for them, their families and communities. I am so grateful that our government has stepped up, in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, to put in place the resources needed to support our fellow British Columbians.
Today we all stand united, regardless of political affiliation, in our desire to help British Columbians and our province get back on their feet and rebuild. We are all united in our desire to build back quickly and to help those affected.
The reality we face as British Columbians and as Canadians is that the growing number of forest fires we have seen in recent years and floods like this one will become the norm.
We cannot just rebuild and pretend it might not happen again for another year or two. The truth is that it will happen again, and it will continue to happen if we do not take vigorous steps to prevent further global warming.
Canada is warming at twice the global average. That is why acting now, as our government has pledged to do, is so important. If recent history, whether the forest fires or these floods, has taught us anything, it is that climate change is no longer an abstract phenomenon and is no longer something we can pretend will not affect us in our lifetime. It is and it will continue to, and it will require us all to work together so that we not only build more resilient infrastructure, but also make the tough decisions needed to fight climate change.
We must build back and we will, but we must build back in a way that allows us to withstand the onslaught of climate change even as we work to stop it. We must continue to invest in innovation and technology here in Canada that allow us to be at the forefront of the battle against climate change and that allow us to lead on building a green, sustainable economy for the decades ahead.
As we plan for the future, it is gratifying that the House stands united in its desire to work together to ensure that we build resilient communities and sustainable infrastructure, and that we make long-term investments in ensuring the safety and security of British Columbia and indeed all Canadians.
Our government has been seized with this task. In 2018, the Government of Canada launched the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund, committing $2 billion over 10 years to invest in structural and natural infrastructure projects to increase the resilience of communities that are impacted by natural disasters triggered by climate change. In budget 2021, an additional $1.375 billion over 12 years was announced to renew this fund.
This government has been there for British Columbians and all Canadians, and we will continue to be there for British Columbians as we rebuild from this crisis and as we do all we need to do to ensure that we are ready for the next one, even as we continue in the fight against climate change.
After every disaster, particularly ones as horrific as the one we are living in British Columbia right now, it is best practice to learn and to ensure that we are better equipped for the next one and better able to respond to serve those affected. Equally, we must look to the root cause of this crisis: climate change. In this case, working together in partnership to address climate change and acting boldly without making it a partisan issue is our easiest path to success.
Tonight, as we sit thousands of miles away from British Columbia, I want to express my gratitude to all members of the House for focusing their thoughts and attention on British Columbia, and for their commitment to working together to ensure that we are able to recover quickly from this tragedy.
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- Nov/24/21 10:59:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Vancouver Granville for his first speech in the House of Commons.
Indeed, many of the disasters we have seen since the summer and into the fall, in my riding especially, are caused by climate change. However, we cannot forget that early in the 20th century the Government of Canada drained the Sumas Lake and created a system of dikes that have artificially kept that lake from existing in the Fraser Valley. A lot of that infrastructure needs to be updated immediately so that we do not have another flood.
I would like to get a commitment from the member on whether he supports the efforts that we have heard tonight to fund that critical infrastructure to prevent Sumas Prairie in my hometown from flooding once again.
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- Nov/24/21 11:00:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, when we talk about the Sumas Lake, I think of the guidance that was provided at the time to the first nations communities about what might happen in a situation like this. That said, we are where we are today, and of course the government has pledged to make sure that we are able to rebuild British Columbia and do our part by doing everything that is required to ensure that the province and the regions that are affected return. We must do the things that allow people to live the lives they need to live.
We will all work together to make sure that British Columbia and the regions that are affected are able to build back to make sure that communities are able to survive.
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- Nov/24/21 11:00:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to make note in the House that between 2006 and 2011, floods cost Canada about $120 million. Between 2010 and 2015, it was $360 million. Between 2016 and 2018, it grew to $430 million a year. Now we are at over $1 billion. The PBO projected in 2014 that if we kept going the way we were going, floods and fires were going to cost us $43 billion to $50 billion a year. What a deficit to leave to future generations.
The member talked about investing heavily and taking bold and courageous action. The Liberals are investing $2 billion over 10 years. Bold and courageous is cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline, which is $17 billion, and ending oil and gas subsidies, which are $18 billion. Let us start spending the money, the $43 billion to $50 billion a year that we are leaving, on my kids and most of our children and grandchildren now instead of shouldering them with the deficits.
The Conservatives talk about inflation. Just wait. Insurance rates are going to go through the roof. Let us protect future generations by investing now in the right thing.
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- Nov/24/21 11:02:05 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, bold and decisive action means implementing a plan that was supported by Canadians in the last election, which is what we are here to do. Bold and responsible action is making sure that we are able to meet our targets, as we have committed to doing. Bold and decisive action means ensuring that we are working with all stakeholders, provinces and indigenous communities to make sure that we are able to take on the fight against climate change and deliver results for Canadians.
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- Nov/24/21 11:02:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Vancouver Granville for his first intervention in the House and congratulate him on his election. I am sure that the constituents of Vancouver Granville are very happy to have as accomplished and caring a representative in this place as they do at this time.
The member, like me, campaigned on what came to be known as the strongest environmental plan on offer in the most recent election. I wonder if he would like to talk about some of the things that he heard from his constituents on what they liked the most in our plan. However, he may wish to address the remarks from the member for Courtenay—Alberni regarding the $18 billion in fuel subsidies, the majority of which were subsidies for workers and families who had lost their wages. I will leave it to him to make the choice.
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