SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 175 - Mar/29/23

Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.)

Mar/29/23 2:32:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for allowing me to continue the list of organizations that praised yesterday's federal budget. I would like to quote the International Institute for Sustainable Development, which said that Canada is making historic investments in clean electricity and fresh water throughout the country. I agree with the International Institute for Sustainable Development, but not with the leader of the Bloc Québécois.

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Context: House Hansard - 175 - Mar/29/23

Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)

Mar/29/23 4:01:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith who are calling on the government to take the climate crisis seriously and to enact legislation that would ensure an inclusive and equitable transition to a sustainable economy. This petition includes calls to, among other things, reduce emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels, wind down the fossil fuel industry, create good green jobs and drive inclusive workforce development, protect and strengthen human rights and workers' rights, expand the social safety net and pay for the transition by increasing taxes on the wealthiest. I would like to thank The Council of Canadians and all signatories for bringing forward this important petition.

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Context: House Hansard - 175 - Mar/29/23

Mr. Terry Duguid

Mar/29/23 6:58:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, budget 2023 will make targeted and responsible investments to build a stronger and greener economic future for all Canadians. In the end, these will make Canada a better place to live, work and thrive for everyone. I am proud of the fact that budget 2023 will mean better public health care, progress toward truth and reconciliation, new opportunities for Canadian workers and, as I think the hon. member wishes, as do I, building a stronger, cleaner, greener and more sustainable 21st century economy.

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Context: House Hansard - 175 - Mar/29/23

Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)

Mar/29/23 6:59:13 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the climate crisis is more urgent than ever, with deadly heat waves, summers of smoke and wildfires, extreme flooding and hurricanes. These events are happening now, and they are only getting more frequent and more severe. While the Liberals say they believe in climate change, they are unwilling to take the action needed at the scale and with the urgency that matches the crisis we are in. In this week's budget, New Democrats were able to successfully push the government to invest billions into clean energy, sustainable jobs and green infrastructure, but I was very disappointed that there was no concrete action on eliminating fossil fuel subsidies in Canada. We have heard promise after promise, but instead the government is headed in the opposite direction, with more handouts to profitable oil and gas companies, ostensibly to provide them with financial help to reduce their emissions. Why would the government not regulate this? Why not make them reduce their emissions and pay for it themselves? U.S. President Biden's budget eliminates billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies, and he has talked about how these companies are making “more money than God”. In contrast, the Liberals think the Canadian taxpayer should be helping out these rich oil and gas CEOs. A report earlier this month by Canada's spy agency, CSIS, warned that the climate crisis poses a profound national security risk. This confirms what scientists have been saying for decades. It also confirms what many indigenous communities have been warning us about: the melting of Arctic ice and permafrost, rising sea levels for coastal communities. These changes will threaten the Inuit, Métis and first nations ways of being and ways of life, many of which have been in place since time immemorial. Droughts, flooding and extreme weather in Canada and around the world will mean decreasing food supplies, which means increasing costs for groceries. CSIS highlights the likely increase in violent extremism because of the climate crisis, as well as migration we have never experienced before, with millions of climate refugees, people who will be displaced due to climate disasters and famine, or simply fleeing areas that are too hot to live in. Our world is changing rapidly and people are scared. They are scared for themselves, for their children and for their grandchildren. The world’s top climate scientists have made it crystal clear that we must reduce our emissions now. Given the urgency, scale and gravity of the crisis we are in, why would the government continue to hand out billions of dollars to the profitable oil and gas industry? These companies are making record profits. They made more money last year than they have ever made before. Why would the government not force these companies, which are fuelling the climate crisis, to pay to clean up their own pollution?

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