SoVote

Dec/1/21 3:31:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when I was interrupted last night, I was talking about an April 2019 publication from the Public Health Agency of Canada that links climate change to health. The government likes to say loud and clear that we must always listen to science. I would like to draw the attention of the House to another study published during COP26 by the very reputable journal The Lancet. The title of the article is “Young People's Voices on Climate Anxiety, Government Betrayal and Moral Injury: A Global Phenomenon”. The title is certainly evocative, and this paper is the result of a survey of more than 15,000 young people aged 16 to 25 in 10 countries. I mention this study here because it goes to the heart of our responsibilities as elected officials. It directly addresses the links between the perceptions that people aged 16 to 25 have of states, the authority of governments, and their responsibilities to this generation on a single issue, namely, the climate crisis. Let us look at a few numbers. Almost 60% of these young people say that they are very worried or extremely worried about the crisis; 83% believe that we failed to take care of the planet; and 65% feel that governments have abandoned the younger generation and are lying about their promises. Almost as many feel that they have been betrayed and that governments care nothing about their distress. What we see is that the negative thoughts and concerns about the impacts of the climate crisis in many areas of their lives are directly related to their feelings of betrayal, inadequate responses and, even worse, government inaction. Let us talk a bit about Environment Minister DeMarco’s report. Its clear and devastating content shows that urgent action is required and confirms the Bloc’s suspicions and what we have been saying for years. To anyone who is tempted to place all the blame on the Harper years, I would point out that the Liberal government chose to wait four years before ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. In 2002, the Liberal government promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6%, but did not establish a plan. In practice, nothing was done, and the rest, as we say, is history. I am saying it now and I will repeat it throughout this Parliament: The Bloc Québécois will not allow the government to engage in double-talk, meaning paradoxical and contradictory policies that would undermine climate action. I will not allow the Canadian federation to play diplomatic games by relying on the significant but insufficient progress that Quebec and many of the provinces have made by maintaining policies and public funds that have been helping destroy the planet for the past 30 years. I will become a first-time grandmother in January. I will not look away and I will not give up the fight. We at the Bloc Québécois are very determined. Whatever they are working on, my colleagues are all very concerned about the environment. Together, we will work for Quebec, for its youth and for its future.

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Context: House Hansard - 8 - Dec/1/21

Ms. Monique Pauzé

Dec/1/21 3:36:24 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question. I would simply like to say that health care is under the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. They are the ones responsible for health care. The federal government is responsible for health transfers and for the implementation of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, which causes lung, heart and kidney disease. Not only is the government failing to act on its responsibilities, it is meddling in the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces. The Liberals are endangering Canadians’ health and then telling us how to do our jobs.

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Context: House Hansard - 8 - Dec/1/21

Ms. Monique Pauzé

Dec/1/21 3:38:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I sincerely thank the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie for his speech. As for effective or ineffective subsidies, they are playing semantics. All the subsidies are ineffective, because all subsidies to the oil and gas industry end up generating greenhouse gases and in turn cause health problems, as I have often said.

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Context: House Hansard - 8 - Dec/1/21

Ms. Monique Pauzé

Dec/1/21 3:39:50 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands for her question. It seems to me that, during the election campaign, the Liberals promised a bill on the just transition. We will ensure that we take a close look at that. We will certainly not make any progress in the fight against climate change if we are unable to support workers. There is always doublespeak. There was not much in the throne speech, which I would say was insipid. Coming back to what my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie was saying earlier, subsidies are being handed out with fine names such as the emissions reduction fund. That is a Liberal government creation. Finally—

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