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The Environment

During question period on the environment, Bloc Québécois members said the government has cancelled several climate measures, including the oil and gas emissions cap, and asked the minister to provide figures showing emissions will still go down enough to meet Canada’s targets, citing groups like the Canadian Climate Institute and the Pembina Institute. Liberal ministers replied with a list of actions they said show progress: tightened methane regulations, clean electricity investments including tax credits that benefit Hydro-Québec, international climate finance, protection of 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030, and support for clean technology and electric vehicles. The exchange consisted of the Bloc repeatedly asking for emissions data and the Liberals responding with examples of climate measures.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

6 statements

Christine Normandin

Bloc Québécois

Linked statement

“The Liberals keep weakening their environmental plans, but they still claim they will meet their emissions targets. I want the minister to show the numbers that prove emissions will still go down.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Liberals keep backtracking on environmental issues time and again. Their backtracking even led the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie to resign. Despite all this backtracking, the Liberals keep repeating that they will meet their greenhouse gas reduction targets. We are wondering how. That is why, last Thursday, the Bloc Québécois demanded to see the figures the Liberals are using as the basis for their claim that emissions will fall despite all the measures they have sacrificed. The minister did not have that data. Now does she have the figures on the impact of the backtracking announced this year?

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Julie Dabrusin

Liberal
“Our government is making progress on cutting pollution. We tightened methane rules to reduce emissions by 400 megatonnes, and we gave Hydro-Québec what it asked for to make its power grid stronger.”

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  • Government answer in Question Period

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois likes to talk about backtracking, but perhaps we could focus more on the progress we have made. What progress is that? I could talk about the tightening of methane regulations: That alone will reduce emissions by 400 megatonnes. I could talk about what we have done on the electricity front. In fact, we gave Hydro-Québec exactly what it asked for in order to have a stronger and more resilient electricity grid. We are getting the job done and reducing emissions at the same time.

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Christine Normandin

Bloc Québécois
“The minister needs to give us the current numbers. The government cancelled many climate rules and approved new fossil fuel projects. They claim they will still meet their climate targets, but they have no data to prove it.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, clearly, the minister still does not have the figures. We want figures for this year, because this is the year the Liberals announced a new pipeline and new LNG projects, cut Alberta’s industrial carbon price, scrapped the oil and gas emissions cap, suspended the clean electricity regulations, cancelled the carbon tax, and the list goes on. Today, even though they do not have any figures measuring the impact of this backtracking, the Liberals keep insisting that they are going to meet their climate targets. How are we supposed to believe that?

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Julie Dabrusin

Liberal
“Our government is doing a lot to fight climate change. We are cutting methane, improving the power grid, helping other countries fight climate change, and supporting electric cars and clean technology.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are going to talk about lists, since apparently Bloc members like lists: I talked about strengthening methane regulations; I talked about working on the electrical grid. I could talk about what we are doing internationally: We are leaders in international climate finance. If my colleague wants to talk about other things, we could talk about what we are doing for electric vehicles here in Canada. We are doing a lot of work. We are in favour of investments in clean technology. We are fighting climate change and we will keep on fighting.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Experts and a former minister say the government will miss its climate targets. The government must show proof that it can still meet them.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, my colleague’s list did not even include the backtracking on environmental assessments, the protection of endangered species, and so on. The Canadian Climate Institute says the government will not meet its climate targets. The Pembina Institute says the same thing. The former environment minister who resigned says the same thing, too. All we are asking the government is to provide evidence when it says it will meet its targets despite its backtracking. It cannot. Are the Liberals are not telling the truth? That is the only possible conclusion.

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Joël Lightbound

Liberal
“Our government is taking strong action on the environment. We are protecting 30 percent of our land and water by 2030, spending billions on nature, and investing up to $90 billion in clean electricity that helps Quebec. We are also cutting methane pollution by 75 percent.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, if the Bloc Québécois wants to talk numbers, then let us talk numbers. Thirty per cent of our lands and waters will be protected by 2030. We are investing $3.8 billion in the 2030 nature strategy. The clean energy tax credits requested by Hydro-Québec will benefit Quebec. We are providing up to $90 billion to electrify our grid, to benefit Hydro-Québec, and to build the future with Quebec. Shall we talk numbers? The enhanced methane regulations will enable us to reduce methane emissions by 75% by 2030. That is what climate action and environmental action are all about.

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