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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 323

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 3, 2024 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 323 - Jun/3/24
Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)
  • Jun/3/24 2:59:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on one side of the border, we have Vermont, which is passing a law to force oil companies to pay for climate damage. On the other side of the border, we have the Liberals and the NPD, who again last week voted in favour of giving $30 billion in additional tax giveaways to those same oil companies. While Vermont wants to force oil companies to pay for the damage they are causing, Canada is rewarding them. I thought that the Liberals and the so-called environmentalists in the NDP supported the polluter pays principle. Why then, when it comes to oil companies, is it the “polluter paid” principle?
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Context: House Hansard - 323 - Jun/3/24
Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.)
  • Jun/3/24 9:36:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Victoria for her consistent advocacy in the House, in committee and anywhere she goes to fight climate change. She is a true advocate and a true champion for the environment; I am proud to be her colleague. We work together on the environment committee; there, we have to endure a lot of misinformation and disinformation, not just from the Conservatives, but from a lot of witnesses who have a vested interest in taking us back to a time when our country did not adequately fight climate change. However, that is not where we are today. In fact, we are lowering our emissions. We have turned the tide from 2015, when the government was elected by Canadians. We were elected on a promise to fight climate change and lower our emissions. At the time, Canada's emissions were going up fast, and we turned the tide. We have lowered emissions, and we are on target to meet our 2026 interim target toward an ambition to reach net zero by 2050. I am proud that the NDP, the Bloc, the Greens and the Liberals all agree on this. Only the Conservatives stand against it. My NDP colleague from Victoria referenced the benzene concerns, and I have to presume that this is from the ongoing issue with the Aamjiwnaang First Nation around Sarnia, Ontario. I followed that issue very closely. It was with respect to the petrochemical industry. I was very heartened when the Minister of the Environment imposed strict benzene pollution controls in response to those concerns. It happened quickly, and we received the response and the feedback from environmental non-governmental organizations that we did the right thing and acted correctly. With respect to the tailings pond leaks in the Athabasca River, this issue is having a negative and really devastating impact in the Kearl oil spill that we have all heard about. I had the opportunity to hold the CEO of Imperial Oil, Brad Corson, to account at committee. We must demand better from these companies. Sadly, much of the jurisdiction for oil and gas extraction, mining and forestry is provincial. A challenge we must face is that one level of government cares deeply about saving the environment and protecting our planet from degradation, excessive emissions and pollution from big industry, namely, from oil and gas extraction. I will say primarily from the oil sands, the only industry in Canada where the emissions continue to go up. There is a bit of an elephant in the room. It requires us to be persistent, to be dogged and to stand up for what we believe in, what is right and what evidence tells us we must do every time we are faced with a bit of a challenge. In the House, we have been faced with challenges by the Conservatives, from the sloganeering to the misinformation and bringing forward ideas in the House that really do not have any basis in reality or fact. When the going gets tough, we have to keep going, but when the Conservatives put forward a motion to, as they say, axe the tax, it would hurt the lowest-income Canadians. It would also axe the Canada carbon rebate, which, I will remind Canadians, goes out on July 15. They will receive more than usual. A lot of Canadians do not do their taxes early; I did not do my taxes early. The Canada carbon rebate will be larger on July 15. We need the New Democrats to be strong in their position as well. Sometimes, when the going gets tough, they vote with the Conservatives, and that is really disappointing for Canadian environmentalists and voters.
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