Discussion · Government Orders
Karim Bardeesy Liberal
“This bill is not like the old Conservative laws. It still protects the environment while coordinating approvals. I want the member to look at these protections again and support the bill.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague opposite and her history of engagement on these files, including her engagement on the proposed Harper-era changes that she was involved in and that, indeed, I was involved in when I was a journalist covering that government. I would submit that this is very different, that we have a coordination of approvals. We have eminent protections on either end of the process. We have an important cabinet directive that was published at the same time as the introduction of the legislation and that would prioritize the mitigation hierarchy with respect to projects. I think there is a lot in this legislation regarding the protections we have in place, combined with those other elements of our climate policy that I described, that I would commend to the member for further consideration.”
Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague opposite and her history of engagement on these files, including her engagement on the proposed Harper-era changes that she was involved in and that, indeed, I was involved in when I was a journalist covering that government. I would submit that this is very different, that we have a coordination of approvals. We have eminent protections on either end of the process. We have an important cabinet directive that was published at the same time as the introduction of the legislation and that would prioritize the mitigation hierarchy with respect to projects. I think there is a lot in this legislation regarding the protections we have in place, combined with those other elements of our climate policy that I described, that I would commend to the member for further consideration.