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TRANSCRIPT (from Hansard)
Ms. Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, once upon a time, there was a CBC reporter, now the Minister of the Environment, who warned us that greenhouse gases were, and I quote, the "most important of all the environmental questions". How times have changed.
At the time, he said that future generations would have to worry about the threat posed by greenhouse gases and, well, here we are.
What is the minister waiting for to come up with a real plan, instead of pulling Canada out of Kyoto?
Hon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, let me assure my colleague that Canada will participate in the Durban conference in the same good faith we have demonstrated at pre-COP meetings all through this year.
Canada is working toward a new single international climate change agreement that would include all major emitters. The Cancun agreements, based on the Copenhagen accord, provide a solid foundation for such a regime. In Durban we will work to implement this agreement.
Ms. Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, I do not have a lot of faith in that good faith because it is Conservative inaction that has made us a climate change laggard and denied Canadians jobs in the new energy economy.
I do not blame the Conservatives for wanting to pull out. Kyoto's independent emissions audits have exposed six years of failure by the government, six years of failed environmental policies and six years of failed federal leadership.
The government's climate inaction kills Canadian jobs. When will it stop blaming the Liberals for the failure of Kyoto? When will it actually introduce a plan for a transition to a new energy economy?
Hon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for reminding the House that the Kyoto agreement was one of the biggest blunders the previous Liberal government made.
Canada will not take on a new target under the Kyoto protocol, but we will not obstruct those who wish to cling to it. The protocol is neither effective nor fair and it is does include commitments by all major emitters.
We do remain committed to the Copenhagen accord, which the Prime Minister signed. We are working toward reaching our 2020 reduction targets.
Mr. Ted Hsu (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the IOUs for climate change are coming.
Instead of trying to solve climate change, the Conservatives are saying "Get used to it; let us adapt", and worse, they are paying lip service to that enormous cost of adaptation.
These enormous IOUs for climate change add to the $600 billion of debt that the Conservatives are passing on to our kids. We are causing climate change; why should our kids pay for it? I believe that is not fair. I believe that is immoral.
Why have the Conservatives made Canada a quitter on solving climate change?
Hon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, it is bad enough that the Liberals embraced Kyoto in the first place, but what made it truly outrageous was that they did so with no intention of ever fulfilling their obligations.
Let me just offer a quote from another lucid member of this House.
"[The Liberal government's] plan in terms of the Kyoto agreement was basically written on the back of an airplane napkin on the way to Kyoto. There was no long term planning. There was no real negotiation with the provinces or with industry sectors. In fact it was a last minute, hastily drafted agreement."
Who said that? It was the member for Kings—Hants in a moment of—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Mr. André Bellavance (Richmond—Arthabaska, BQ):
Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservative government is embarrassing us at the Climate Change Conference in Durban by collecting fossil awards and taking jabs here and there for its inaction on reducing greenhouse gases. The Premier of Quebec, his environment minister, and Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu all denounce Canada's attitude.
Can the Minister of the Environment tell us whose interests he is promoting in Durban? Certainly not those of the Quebec companies that have invested in sustainable development in accordance with the Kyoto protocol; they will be penalized by the government's sabotage.
Hon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, our government is proud of the abundance of natural resources with which our country has been blessed. We are also proud of the responsible and sustainable way that these resources are being developed. Finally, we are proud of our commitment to the Copenhagen and Cancun agreements and our pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17% by 2020.
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Question Period, 28 November 2011 (Parliament of Canada): The Environmentby SaveEC262 views
Peter Kent just another presstitute.
One who "screws" the general public by intentionally sumbitting false or mis-leading information to the Press. Esp. for politicians and news folks.
Our congressperson really presstituted themselves with that interview.
or
That politician is a known presstitute.
We can only hope for an early election and DEMAND criminal charges be
Laid against Harper and his criminal cronneis. Then throw the key away.
tomuchbabble 2 months ago
I like the idea of ' a new energy economy'....
MoondanceacresVideo 2 months ago
Like schoolyard children, as though catching another politician with his pants down, his foot in his mouth, talking BS or being hypocritical is a big accomplishment. For these fools, sadly, it is. It's about all the can do.
Put a fork in them, they're done!
samuidave 2 months ago
• Conservatives in power expecting rights is like expecting honesty or Acountability or rational thinking, It just won,t happen. We have a criminal in power supported by MP,s just as guilty attacking democracy. THEY lie ,mislead,misrepresent while Giving jobs in the government to private indeviduals as PAYMENT for their support while fireing anyone that disagrees with HARPER. Who I beleive holds power illegaly. The next Government SHOULD charge them for TREASONOUS acts against the people, CANADA
tomuchbabble 2 months ago