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The Environment

Question period exchanges on the environment focused on an announced new oil pipeline that could begin construction as early as 2027. The Bloc Québécois said the pipeline could violate environmental laws and endanger species at risk, that the environmental review rules could be changed and construction might start before the review is done, and asked whether Liberal members would oppose it; it also noted that roughly fifteen Liberal MPs had written to the Prime Minister with concerns about oil and gas support and urged them to act on those concerns. The Liberals replied that the government is working with all provinces on economic competitiveness and climate goals, remains committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, and pointed to clean-energy tax credits, land protection targets, industrial pollution pricing, and methane reductions.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Patrick Bonin

Bloc Québécois
“The Prime Minister is allowing a new oil pipeline that could harm the environment and break environmental laws. The review rules can be changed, and building might start before the review is done. I want to know if any government members will oppose this.”

  • Opposition question in Question Period

    Respect 90 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “The Prime Minister is an environmental sellout”.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is official: The Prime Minister is an environmental sellout. It has been announced that a new dirty oil pipeline will be built as early as 2027. This is a pipeline that could violate environmental laws and endanger species at risk. The environmental assessment for this pipeline will be carried out by the Canada Energy Regulator in Calgary, and the Prime Minister will even be able to change the criteria as time goes on. Furthermore, construction may begin before the assessment has even been completed. This is an environmental sellout that will have a ripple effect for generations. Are there any Liberals who will refuse to be complicit?

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Nathalie Provost

Liberal
“We must work with all provinces to grow our economy and hit our climate targets. We still plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and I am working on our nature plan.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 45 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to paraphrase our Prime Minister. He said that we live in the world as it is, not as we would like it to be. What matters to us is that we all work together, with all the provinces and across Canada, to improve our economic competitiveness, but also to meet our climate targets. We have not given up on meeting the 2050 net-zero target. Personally, I am working very hard on the nature strategy, a strategy that has drawn unanimous support across Canada.

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Patrick Bonin

Bloc Québécois

Linked statement

“About 15 Liberal members wrote to the Prime Minister because they are unhappy with his support for oil and gas. If climate change is so serious, they should leave their party.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to selling out on the environment, the Prime Minister is taking things farther than Stephen Harper. We are not the ones saying it. The Liberal member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie says it, and he is not alone. About 15 Liberals have written to the Prime Minister to express their uneasiness with the shift to oil and gas. About 15 Liberals reminded him that climate change is the most serious threat of our time. If this is the most serious threat of our time, what is stopping them from standing up and leaving their party?

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Joël Lightbound

Liberal
“Our government protects the environment while also growing the economy. We are spending up to $90 billion on clean energy tax credits, protecting 30 percent of our land by 2030, taxing industrial pollution, and cutting methane emissions.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 35 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I am very proud to be part of a government that takes climate change and environmental protection very seriously. However, economic development is also essential to our country’s future. When we speak of the environment and the fight against climate change, we might think of clean energy tax credits amounting to as much as $90 billion, or the nature strategy, which will protect 30% of our land by 2030, or industrial carbon pricing, or regulations that will reduce our methane emissions by 75% by 2030. These are real and concrete actions for protecting nature.

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