44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 8, 2023 02:00PM
- Feb/8/23 2:53:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, in my conversations with farmers over the years, I have heard directly from them how concerned they are about the long-term sustainability of their families, of their industries and of their ability to continue to deliver high-quality food to all Canadians. That is why they are focused on fighting climate change and doing so in a way that is going to make sure we are building a stronger future for everyone.
We will continue to work with farmers across this country to make sure they are equipped for the changes that are coming while at the same time able to continue to thrive in their communities and in their families as they work hard to feed all Canadians.
122 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/8/23 2:55:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the farmers I speak to talk about the fact that flood, drought, fire and upheavals in our climate are the challenges they are most worried about for their kids and grandkids, and continuing—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
41 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/8/23 2:55:28 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, farmers are concerned about their futures, about their kids, about their next generations of farmers and their communities. That is why they know that fighting climate change is important, but they also know they should not be carrying that burden alone. That is why we are continuing to support them in innovation, transformation and success so that they are going to be able to continue to feed Canadians with pride for generations.
74 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/8/23 2:56:31 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the price on pollution that we brought in delivers, as well, a carbon incentive, a climate action rebate that gives more money back to average families than they pay, in the areas that have the carbon tax federal backstop applied.
These are things that are facts, that the Conservatives continue to deny. On top of that, Conservatives continue to pretend that we can have a plan for the future of the economy without having a plan to fight climate change, which is simply wrong.
We will be there to fight climate change and support Canadians.
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/8/23 3:11:35 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to thank the member for St. John's East for her hard work and her leadership on this file.
What the Conservative Party still does not realize is that one cannot have a plan for the economy if one does not have a plan for the environment.
On this side, we are focused on creating good jobs, helping families with the cost of living and fighting climate change. We are doing so through our climate action incentive rebates, which are putting more money back in families' pockets. We are also helping households with retrofits and switching from oil furnaces to heat pumps, which are saving energy and money while protecting the planet.
117 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/8/23 4:58:44 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I rise to share a petition on behalf of petitioners who want to draw the attention of the House of Commons to the fact that Canada has signed the Paris Agreement and the signatories to the Paris Agreement are required to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. They call on the Government of Canada to take bold climate action, and that includes setting targets that align with lowering Canada's emissions in line with the 1.5°C target, working with provinces to phase out cold-fired electricity, ending thermal coal exports and investing in the transition to a prosperous decarbonized economy.
115 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for coming to Windsor. As an ornithologist, he has a really great knowledge of the species at risk that we have. What is exciting about this is that it creates ecotourism, for sure, but it also creates a confidence in young people that we can actually, in our own backyards, affect climate change. That is the most important thing about this. When young people try to make a difference, they can see right in their own community what they can build together, with their own hands. We need to get this done so we can pass it on to them so they have the projects, the work and the things they need to save their environment and community and contribute to the planet.
131 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/8/23 7:52:47 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to start by taking a moment to express my heartbreak and condolences to the parents, the day care staff and the children, and to everyone who is impacted by the tragedy in Laval. It is hard to find words to express the depth of loss that these families are facing. We are grieving with them.
Every year, more people across Canada are forced to face the devastating reality of the climate crisis: increasingly severe hurricanes on the east coast, and forest fires, extreme flooding and heat domes on the west coast. We are in a climate emergency, and it is impacting everything that we hold dear. People have lost their homes and their jobs, and hundreds of Canadians have lost their lives.
It has been four years since the government declared a climate emergency, and yet it still refuses to take climate action at the scale or speed required. Why would the Liberal government say it believes there is a climate emergency but then refuse to treat it like an emergency? Why would it continue to hand out billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies? Why would it buy the Trans Mountain pipeline? Why would it approve Bay du Nord? Why is it openly planning to increase oil and gas production?
We are in a climate emergency. These are not the actions of a government responding to an emergency. These are the actions of a government that is captured by the oil and gas lobby.
This past year was the most profitable year ever for the five biggest oil companies. Take that in. Big oil and gas made more profit than they ever have before. While they rake in these record profits, profiting off the backs of Canadians who are struggling just to make ends meet, these companies are also announcing that they are scaling down their climate commitments, lowering their emission reduction targets and walking back their pledges to climate action.
Instead, they are upping their spending on new oil and gas. Just two weeks ago, Canadian oil and gas executives claimed they could not invest any more in clean energy and renewable projects, that they want to but there is no place to invest these billions in. If that is true, why would the federal government give them billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies? These companies are making more money than ever before, and they claim they want to spend it on climate action. Why would the government not require that they pay for their own pollution, regulate them, force them to reduce their emissions, and make big oil and gas put their exorbitant money where their mouth is?
Instead, the government decided to give the oil and gas sector billions more for carbon capture technology. Not only is carbon capture an unproven technology, which according to the IPCC, according to the world's top climate scientists, is one of the costliest and least effective options out there, but this $2.6-billion carbon capture tax credit is money that the government could have invested in renewable technology that is readily available, that is proven. The government could have excluded oil and gas companies from this handout. It could have forced these companies to pay for their own carbon capture projects.
Instead, the Liberals keep footing the bill for the oil and gas industry. What that actually means is that the Liberals are making Canadians foot the bill. Among the G20 countries, Canada has the worst track record when it comes to public financing of the oil and gas sector. These are choices about how we spend our public money. Profitable oil and gas companies should be paying to clean up their own pollution.
If the Liberals truly believe that we are in a climate emergency, they could implement a windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies. Other countries have done it. We could use that money to invest in climate solutions, in making life more affordable for Canadians, in making communities more climate-resilient.
Why is the government so focused on protecting the profits of big oil and gas instead of protecting Canadians and our communities from the climate crisis?
699 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/8/23 7:57:10 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we know two things. We know that energy profits are at record levels, and we know that emissions have to come down.
We are investing $9.1 billion in an emissions reduction plan. We have put our money on the table. Oil and gas companies have to come to the plate. They have to put their shoulder to the wheel. They have to work with us to get those emissions down and to realize the ambitious targets we have set for our emissions reduction plan.
Our government understands that Canada is facing an increasing number of extreme events, such as floods, hurricanes and forest fires.
Our climate is changing and it is necessary to take strong action now to make our future greener. Now, more than ever, climate action is an economic necessity. The reality is that this government is taking meaningful actions to fight pollution and promote cleaner air for everyone.
I know the member for Victoria also believes in the importance of fighting climate change and I hope that she supports our efforts.
For example, we established a national minimum price on carbon pollution across Canada in 2019. Not only is it no longer free to pollute, it is more and more expensive to do so. Our approach is working.
We are encouraging industries to become more efficient and use cleaner technologies. In doing so, we are encouraging the development of innovative new approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using energy more efficiently.
That being said, we also know that we need to work with the industry on decarbonization measures.
Our government is also committed to phasing out or rationalizing inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that give fossil fuels an unfair advantage over clean air solutions. We have accelerated the previous timeline for doing so from 2025 to this year.
In budget 2022, the government committed to eliminating the flow-through share regime for fossil fuel activities. This will be done by no longer allowing expenditures related to oil, gas and coal exploration and development to be renounced to flow-through share investors for flow-through share agreements entered into after March 31, 2023.
That is less than two months away.
I am also proud of our government's work on carbon capture, utilization and storage, or CCUS. It is an important tool for reducing emissions in high-emitting sectors, especially if other pathways to reduce emissions are limited or even unavailable. It uses advanced technologies to capture carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion, industrial processes or directly from the air.
The captured carbon can then be stored deep underground or used to create new, innovative products.
In last year's budget, we announced a refundable investment tax credit for businesses that incur eligible expenses.
This tool will be available to CCUS projects to the extent that they permanently store captured CO2 through an eligible use. From 2022 through 2030, the investment tax credit rates will be set at 60% for investment in equipment to capture CO2 in direct air capture projects, 50% for investment in equipment to capture CO2 in all other CCUS projects, and 37.5% for investment in equipment for transportation, storage and use.
To encourage industry to act quickly to reduce emissions, these rates will be reduced by 50% starting in 2031.
550 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
