Discussion · Government Orders
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Québécois
“I oppose this bill. It lets federal projects ignore Quebec's environmental laws and skips consulting First Nations. The government is doing this to build nuclear power and store nuclear waste near the drinking water for most people in Quebec.”
“Madam Speaker, my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche should know that I will keep going a bit too far until our voices are heard outside the House because Quebeckers’ fundamental rights, the right to live in a healthy environment, are on the line. It seems that a project of national interest is grounds for violating laws of interest to Quebec, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement et les lois environnementales, and social acceptability laws. I will give an example. I campaigned alongside the Kebaowek community to protect their ancestral lands, because they had a right to be consulted. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission had failed to do so. I am very proud to have been able to help secure the passage of an amendment and to have helped bring about change in this regard, and I thank the Conservatives for agreeing to remove the Indian Act from Bill C-5. However, the Liberals came back with Bill C-15, and Bill C-39. Now, they no longer see any point in consulting first nations. They are disregarding that and they do not care. That sets a dangerous precedent. All of this is to introduce nuclear power and store its waste near drinking water sources, near 80% of Quebec’s population. If that is the case, then yes, I will keep going a bit too far.”
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Madam Speaker, my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche should know that I will keep going a bit too far until our voices are heard outside the House because Quebeckers’ fundamental rights, the right to live in a healthy environment, are on the line. It seems that a project of national interest is grounds for violating laws of interest to Quebec, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement et les lois environnementales, and social acceptability laws. I will give an example. I campaigned alongside the Kebaowek community to protect their ancestral lands, because they had a right to be consulted. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission had failed to do so. I am very proud to have been able to help secure the passage of an amendment and to have helped bring about change in this regard, and I thank the Conservatives for agreeing to remove the Indian Act from Bill C-5. However, the Liberals came back with Bill C-15, and Bill C-39. Now, they no longer see any point in consulting first nations. They are disregarding that and they do not care. That sets a dangerous precedent. All of this is to introduce nuclear power and store its waste near drinking water sources, near 80% of Quebec’s population. If that is the case, then yes, I will keep going a bit too far.