44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 22, 2022 10:00AM
- Nov/22/22 2:33:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we have said many times in this House, addressing climate change as an existential threat to the future of the human race is of critical importance to our children and our grandchildren, but we must do so in a manner that addresses the affordability issues and actually has a plan for creating a prosperous future in a lower-carbon environment. We have put into place a number of measures, not simply the $250 million we announced with respect to heat pumps, which is very important, but the green buildings program and a whole range of other things that are ensuring Canadians can make the transition in an affordable way. Climate change is real. We need to fight it with thoughtful and effective plans.
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- Nov/22/22 2:33:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals failed on the climate and the economy. What the minister fails to acknowledge is that the government has failed to hit a single climate target, failed to lower emissions, failed to deliver a real plan and ranked 58th out of 63 on its failed carbon scheme. Its only answer is a tax plan. Canadians are out of money, and the out-of-touch government thinks heat pumps are going to save them. Contrary to what the finance minister wants us all to believe, the carbon tax is not helping anyone, and neither is cancelling Disney+ subscriptions.
Again, why will the Liberal government not get out of the way and axe the carbon tax on home heating?
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- Nov/22/22 2:34:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that less than two years ago the Conservative Party voted that climate change was not even real. Then, last year, the leadership of the Conservative Party decided that indeed it was real and brought forward a campaign platform that had at least a weak climate plan, the centrepiece of which was putting in place a price on pollution. All of the Conservative members in this House were elected on that platform, but now, once again, they do not talk about climate change and they attack the idea of pricing pollution. How can we believe anything these folks say?
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- Nov/22/22 2:35:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the snow is here, and calls are coming in across the country from families who are wearing their winter coats inside their homes just to keep warm and save money on heating costs. The temperatures are dropping across the country, and home energy bills are rising. Many Canadians are faced with the horrible choice of having to cut back on meals or turn down the heat in their homes just to get through this winter.
Will the Liberal government do the right thing and cancel the carbon tax on home heating?
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- Nov/22/22 2:35:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague talks about some of the difficult choices Canadians have to face. On this side of the House, we understand that. That is why we have been there continuously for the last seven years to help Canadians in need.
My hon. colleague and her caucus have a chance today to support the fall economic statement. It would help Canadian families with the enhanced Canada workers benefit, which is going to come four times a year as opposed to once a year. It will help students with eliminating permanently the interest on the federal portion of their student loans. If the Conservatives really care about Canadians, I hope they demonstrate it today by voting in favour of initiatives that will support them.
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- Nov/22/22 2:36:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, at least a million Canadians will go without heating their homes this winter.
The Liberals do not have an environmental plan; they have a tax plan. They have not met one single environmental target. The Liberals' irresponsible and reckless spending is the cause of this inflationary nightmare. Now they plan to tax their way out of this mess on the backs of Canadians. The people who are least able to afford it will be punished by this tax.
Will the Liberals finally admit they were wrong and cancel this cruel inflationary carbon tax on heating?
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- Nov/22/22 2:37:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, do members know what is cruel? What is cruel is talking about the spending that we did in the pandemic that supported millions of Canadians. The Canada emergency response benefit helped millions of Canadians. The Canada emergency wage subsidy helped millions of Canadians.
We were there for Canadians in their time of need, and we continue to be there. What we have not seen is the Conservative Party of Canada and its members of Parliament be there to support Canadians, but I hope they decide today to do the right thing to be there to help the most vulnerable and support the fall economic statement.
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- Nov/22/22 2:37:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the holidays are going to be pretty dismal for Canadians. With the price of groceries going through the roof, there may not be much on families' tables. With the price of gas hitting record highs, some families will not be able to visit relatives and friends. Add to that the skyrocketing cost of heating. That is the last straw.
Will the government take our advice and eliminate the carbon tax on home heating bills in Canada?
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- Nov/22/22 2:38:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have a robust plan that meets the needs of Canadians who need help when they need it.
Within the hour, the Conservatives will have the opportunity to vote to eliminate interest on student loans and double the GST credit. They will also have the opportunity to cut taxes for small and medium-sized businesses and help Canadians buy their first home. We have an idea of how they will vote. They will vote against these measures.
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- Nov/22/22 2:39:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, he would do well to stop playing politics and show a bit of compassion. We want tangible measures now, not costly solutions that will take months to come in.
Again, I said it yesterday, our leader and every Conservative here is calling for one thing: to cancel the plan to increase the carbon tax. It is clear and simple.
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- Nov/22/22 2:39:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this weekend in Edmonton, Mike and Lory approached me during the All is Bright festival to thank our government for reducing child care fees by half because this helps them to pay their bills at home.
Brad asked me when he would receive the $500 to help with his housing costs. The answer is that the cheque is on the way because we have done our job.
If the Conservatives want to show compassion and help Canadians, they can vote with us today.
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- Nov/22/22 2:40:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment has a lot of explaining to do when it comes to the role Canada played at COP27. He personally did everything in his power to prevent a line about the importance of phasing out all fossil fuels from being included in the final declaration.
The minister has changed a lot since his Greenpeace days, but surely not to the point where he would deny the fact that the only solution to climate change is to reduce our use of oil and gas.
Why did he fight to prevent the countries from recognizing that obvious fact?
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- Nov/22/22 2:40:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that Canada's work was applauded at COP27 by organizations such as Climate Action Network Canada, which said that we were among the first wealthy countries to move forward on the issue of loss and damages. The executive director of the International Energy Agency recognized Canada as a world leader in the fight against methane pollution.
If I had to choose between the Bloc Québécois, which just wants to pick fights, and Climate Action Network Canada and the International Energy Agency, then I would choose the latter two.
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- Nov/22/22 2:41:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's performance at COP27 was disappointing on three fronts.
First, the Prime Minister did not even attend. Second, Canada invited the oil companies to sit at the head table. Third, the Minister of Environment prevented countries from talking about the importance of phasing out oil and gas.
What grade would our climate champion have given a Canadian government that behaved in this way, back in the old days?
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- Nov/22/22 2:41:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Bloc Québécois should send my hon. colleague next time, since she could have heard me tell journalists from all over the world that we supported Great Britain's proposal to draft a text that effectively eliminates the use of non-sequestered fossil fuels by 2050. That is already Canada's plan, and we have already made that commitment and communicated it to our partners at COP27.
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- Nov/22/22 2:42:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada got a failing grade at COP27. Next up is the biodiversity conference, COP15. What happened in Newfoundland while the minister was in Egypt? Five oil companies got the green light for oil exploration in a marine protected area. Canada does not even allow fishing in that area in order to protect biodiversity, but it is allowing companies to drill into the seabed to find more oil.
What credibility does it have to talk about biodiversity at COP15? Is this conference already doomed to fail too?
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- Nov/22/22 2:43:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague should know that the organization that authorized exploratory drilling operates independently of the federal government. It seems to me that the Bloc Québécois should have a good understanding of the word “independence”. It was that agency, not the federal government, that proposed this exploratory drilling.
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- Nov/22/22 2:43:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I spoke with Chris in Grand Falls-Windsor just this morning. He explained how the $5,000 that was announced yesterday would only be a drop in the bucket to help convert his elderly parents from burning oil to heating their home with a heat pump. His parents struggled last winter, and now their oil bill has nearly doubled. That is without the carbon tax. In the new year, the carbon tax will add another 20% to their home heating bill.
Will the Liberal government stop forcing the carbon tax down the throats of Canadians?
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- Nov/22/22 2:44:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, these are challenging times for Canadians and we want to help. The price of home heating oil has certainly increased over the past year and we want to make sure that people are not forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table.
That is why, yesterday, the Nova Scotia regional minister announced a program that would give up to $5,000 to low and middle-income families to help with the cost of replacing their furnace with new and more efficient heat pumps. Transitioning away from heating oil will save families thousands of dollars on their annual heating bills, reduce pollution and create new jobs across the country.
Today, in Nova Scotia, the carbon price rebate was announced, which will more than compensate for any increase in home heating oil and fuel for cars.
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- Nov/22/22 2:45:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that member should have better sense. He knows that program is garbage. The carbon tax cult opposite continues to gloat about the need to tax Atlantic Canadians, but the evidence is in. The carbon tax is not working. We rank 58 out of 64 countries in fighting climate change. Canada's emissions are higher now than ever. The carbon tax just fuels inflation.
When will the Liberal government stop forcing its failed carbon tax down the throats of Canadians?
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