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Government Orders

Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2

2026-05-27 Sitting 123 Showing 1–7 of 7

In a debate meant to be about a budget implementation bill, parliamentarians instead spent their time congratulating and reminiscing with a retiring MP in an irrelevant mutual admiration session. The actual budget, spending, or governance of the country was barely discussed.

Official Hansard ↗

Hon. Steven Guilbeault

Liberal 4:40 p.m.

“I'm filling time with kind words and saying nothing anyone could pin down later.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, a few months after I turned 25, I embarked on my first overseas trip, one that, without my knowing it, would set the course of my entire life. I was heading to Berlin for what was then a little-known gathering: the very first conference of parties on climate change, COP1. History was being made, and I was lucky enough to be in the room. Like many of my peers at the time, I was setting off for the old world with my backpack, but unlike them, I was not going to be backpacking across Europe. Instead, I slept on a gymnasium floor with 600 young people from all over the world in what had, a few years earlier, been East Berlin. We had a common goal: to convince governments around the world to agree on an ambitious plan to tackle climate change. The experience made me realize not only how crucial the climate crisis and, as I would later discover, the nature crisis are, but also how important international collaboration is to finding solutions to these complex issues. Over the next two decades, I channelled this conviction into environmental work with NGOs, advocating for change, mobilizing support and building bridges between science, civil society and public policy. It was this experience that ultimately led me to politics. In 2019, then prime minister Justin Trudeau asked me to join the Liberal team to help accelerate action on climate change. When I became environment minister, my mandate included developing Canada's first comprehensive climate plan to meet our international obligations. We also developed the country's first comprehensive adaptation plan to prepare and protect Canadians from the dangers of a changing climate, changes that we can no longer avoid, and those plans were working. These plans, through policies, regulations and legislation, have been designed to ensure that Canada makes its fair contribution to reducing pollution and protecting Canadians from the devastation we are already seeing in communities from coast to coast to coast. Before making the final decision to run, there was one thing I asked: the ability to distance myself from the decision by the government to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline. As an environmentalist with deep understanding of the scientific consensus on the urgency and need to rapidly reduce heat-trapping gases, I had opposed a number of oil and gas projects and had criticized the Trudeau government for moving ahead with the purchase of TMX. Many of my political opponents have used these positions to try to portray me as anti-development. That has always made me smile a little, because throughout my professional career, I have championed numerous development projects across the country, such as wind and solar projects, public transit and active mobility initiatives, the electrification of our public transit system, including boosting sales of electric vehicles, and, more recently, the high-speed rail project. I was onstage in Edmonton in 2015 when then NDP premier Rachel Notley announced her climate leadership plan. Again I was roundly criticized by some environmentalists for doing so, but I have always believed in collaborating with provinces within the framework of the scientific reality of climate change. Much has changed since then. Just 10 years ago, for every dollar invested worldwide in fossil fuel production, another dollar was invested in clean and renewable technologies. Today, that ratio is two to one in favour of renewable energy. Last year, global electric vehicle sales reached nearly 23%. There are not many reasons that lead people to enter politics. In my case, it was a desire to pursue my quest for a better environment, for the fight against climate change, and for nature protection. These intense, demanding and deeply meaningful seven years have been among the most formative of my life. I leave proud of what we have accomplished together. After nearly seven years serving as the member for the beautiful riding of Laurier—Sainte‑Marie, the time has come for me to seek new avenues to continue my life's work. I will therefore be resigning my seat in the House later this summer. I am profoundly grateful to my children, family, friends, staff and constituents, as well as volunteers, many of whom have come to Ottawa today to be with us and who have made this work possible. They gave me far more than I can ever give back. Mr. Speaker, I will not mention the fact that some of them may be here in the House, because you would tell me I am not allowed to do that. The journey that began in Berlin more than 30 years ago is not over. It is simply continuing in another direction, with the same urgency and renewed hope. The fight for our planet is the struggle of our generation, and I fully intend to keep fighting. It has been the honour of my life to represent my community and my country.

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Hon. Steven Guilbeault

Liberal 4:40 p.m.

“I think they said something nice about me. I want to believe that. That would make me happy.”

Hon. Steven Guilbeault

Liberal 4:50 p.m.

“I feel very good about my time in politics. I want people to remember that I helped accomplish big things like the COP15 conference in Montreal. I want people to know that I worked hard with many other people and countries to protect 30% of the planet. I hope people at home will feel inspired to get into politics too.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank my colleague and friend from the Bloc Québécois, the member for Repentigny, for his kind words, on his own behalf and, as I understand it, on behalf of his party. The political arena can sometimes be very difficult, but it is also a place where we can accomplish great things. When the United Nations approached us in spring 2022 to ask us to host COP15 in Montreal, a conference that normally takes a year, if not two, to organize, we had only six months to do so. On top of that, we had to work closely with China, which was presiding over the conference, a country with which our diplomatic relations at the time were rather limited. The prime minister at the time, Mr. Trudeau, supported in particular by our former foreign affairs minister and current minister responsible for economic development, did not hesitate to support me in embarking on this adventure with the entire Canadian community, including NGOs, indigenous peoples and many private-sector companies. In the span of two weeks, we succeeded in convincing 196 countries to protect 30% of the planet. Today, this is referred to as the “Paris agreement for nature”, the equivalent of the Paris climate agreement. People can achieve great things by getting into politics. I urge everyone watching who is wondering whether they should one day take the plunge to go for it, pursue their dreams and do everything they can.

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Hon. Mark Gerretsen

Liberal 4:50 p.m.

“I want to congratulate and thank my colleague for all his hard work on climate change. Even from his very first speech, he has always pushed us to do better. I'm curious what advice he would give to a young person who is just getting started in climate activism.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the time he has spent in the House. I certainly will not forget when he was first elected in 2019. I had been here for four years, and I was sitting in the House when he was about to give his first speech. He turned around to me and said, “Do I start talking now?” He was just getting his feet established here, but it did not take him long to become a force to be reckoned with in the House. I thank him for the time he spent with us and for always pushing the government, for always pushing us individually, to do more and to be more thoughtful when it comes to climate change and what we could do. He always pushed us to do better no matter the circumstances. The member opened his speech by talking about a young 20-year-old who travelled for the first time to engage in activities around climate change. What would he say today to that young 20-year-old to give him advice?

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Hon. Steven Guilbeault

Liberal 4:55 p.m.

“I want to thank the government whip for being a great ally. If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I'd say that dreams can come true if you believe in them.”

Hon. Steven Guilbeault

Liberal 4:55 p.m.

“I appreciate the kind words from my NDP colleague. He's been a great partner on environmental issues. We've worked together a lot. It's not always easy in this place. I want to thank him for working with me. I won't stop fighting for the environment. I'll keep at it, even outside of this House.”

Hon. Steven Guilbeault

Liberal 4:55 p.m.

“Nice things are nice. I'll be around if you need me to talk about the environment. I didn't answer a question about the budget, I just said nice things about Elizabeth May.”

What they said. What they meant.

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