44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 4, 2022 11:00AM
- Apr/4/22 6:44:02 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will continue with the next petition, which is in support of the energy sector. In my province petitioners are concerned about the ideological agenda of the government, and its fellow travellers in the NDP, as it seeks to shut down our energy sector. They note that the consequences of these actions will be the loss of wealth, prosperity, opportunity and wellness for Albertans, and Albertans are very concerned about this.
Petitioners want the government to take the following actions: formally recognize Alberta's place as an equal partner in the federation and remove any barriers to Alberta being able to develop its resources without interference. Finally, petitioners want the government to ensure unfettered access to international markets for these resources.
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- Apr/4/22 6:44:02 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the next petition I am tabling is with respect to the ongoing Uighur genocide. Petitioners highlight various news items about the horrific treatment of Uighurs, including forced sterilization, forced abortion, coordinated suppression of birth rates, organ harvesting, invasive surveillance, separation of children from families, forced labour, destruction of cultural sites and many other abuses.
Petitioners note that this genocide has been recognized by the House, but not as yet by the government, and therefore the ask in this petition is that the government formally recognize that Uighurs in China have been and are being subjected to genocide and also to use the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, or the Magnitsky act, to sanction those who are responsible for the heinous crimes being committed against Uighurs.
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- Apr/4/22 6:44:26 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I begin this evening's Adjournment Proceedings by acknowledging that we are here on the territory of the traditional unceded lands of the Algonquin nation. To them, I say meegwetch.
I raised this question initially on February 9, 2022, and it relates to the Trans Mountain pipeline. It is amazing, the timing, but that day marked exactly two years since there had been any public accounting of the costs to the Government of Canada and the people of Canada on the purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Actually, the Prime Minister did respond to my question and say that the Government of Canada believed that the oil and gas sector and profits to its pipeline were still important in making the transition away from oil and gas, but within, I think, 24 hours later, the question and the Prime Minister's answer were rather overtaken by events, as I had foreshadowed. We were overdue for a financial accounting on the Trans Mountain pipeline. I think it was the very next day when that accounting came forward, and Trans Mountain Limited reported that they were, in fact, way over budget.
Let us just review where we are. By the way, the same day that report came out, our Minister of Finance said there would be no more public money into Trans Mountain, so in the time that I have tonight I want to canvass two things. This is an economic loser and, in light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report today, we need to cancel this project.
First, let us start out where we were. When it was a Kinder Morgan project before the National Energy Board and I was an intervenor, Kinder Morgan's estimate of costs of construction were $5.4 billion. By the time we bought it, like a bunch of suckers, it was up to $7.4 billion estimated costs. That went to $9.3 billion. By 2020, it was over budget to $12.6 billion. That was our last update. When it was updated once again, we were now over $21 billion with over another year to wait.
We say we are not going to put any more public money into it, but this has been purchased by a Crown corporation. The Crown corporation borrowed $15 billion against the Canada account, which means we are already spending $700 in interest a year. Beyond that, the people of Canada are going to be on the hook forever if this thing is allowed to be built because Trans Mountain's deal with its customers, in terms of the tolls it charges, only allow the customers to be charged for 25% of any cost overruns. The 75% remaining will come back to the people of Canada once again, so we know this project is massively over budget, massively costing too much and that the Crown corporation itself has said that we are in the vicinity of over $21 billion. The project is still not even half complete.
With the remaining less than a minute I have, let us just drill down on the obvious. With today's report plus those before it from the International Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world has a consensus that if we are going to hold to what we promised to do in Paris and hold no more than 1.5°C global average temperature increase, we must massively reduce our emissions of fossil fuels. We must, according to today's report from the IPCC, make sure that 2025 is the peak of our emissions forever and come down from there. Building this pipeline will destroy our Paris commitments. Building the pipeline is a threat to our future and will inevitably involve more costs to the people of Canada.
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- Apr/4/22 6:48:23 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as the member knows, just last week we released our 2030 emissions reduction plan. It is one that sets out a very ambitious and achievable sector-by-sector approach to get us there. The plan builds on actions that have already been taken by many to reduce our carbon footprint, including by indigenous peoples, businesses, provincial and territorial governments, municipalities, civil society and many Canadians across the country.
I want to point out to the member that, as she already knows, our emissions reduction plan builds on existing initiatives. It includes a robust price on carbon pollution, a ban on unabated domestic coal-fired electricity by 2030 and an upcoming clean fuel standard. Last week's plan includes more than $9 billion in new investments to cut pollution and grow our economy. Among them are measures to make it easier for Canadians to switch to electric vehicles, to green our homes and buildings, and to help industries adopt the clean tech solutions to make our energy grid even cleaner. There are also many other initiatives.
I believe the member opposite knows that the global clean energy transition cannot happen overnight, but neither should Canadians or people around the globe drag our heels on this. We cannot just end oil and gas production with a snap of our fingers without risking energy security, here and around the world. We also recognize that the energy sector has the know-how, the skills and the financial clout to bring about clean technology through breakthroughs that we have been able to see thus far. Many others have already been targeted.
That is why we need to maximize the value of our resources, which is one of the reasons we remain committed to the Trans Mountain expansion project. TMX is creating thousands of good-paying jobs right now. Once operational, it will unlock new global markets. This will generate billions of dollars in new revenues to fund clean energy solutions, which is a goal we all want to get to. It is also creating additional investments and job opportunities for many indigenous people and many companies within Canada; therefore, it is advancing our government's commitment to reconciliation as well. I want to stress that TMX will not undermine our climate change efforts or our ability to reach the targets that we have set and committed to.
As the member acknowledged in her speech, the project's price has risen. This is the result of project enhancements, safety and security requirements, construction delays that were caused by COVID-19 and B.C.'s extreme weather events last summer, as well as new financial costs. It is not just one thing that has contributed to this; it is a whole gamut of factors that have led to this increase.
The project is now half-built. Trans Mountain Corporation will seek third-party funding if it needs further funds to complete the project. I know the member understands this. I share her passion and desire to see things move more rapidly on climate change, but there is a process to get there so that Canadians can all be a part of that exciting change in a way that we can manage sustainability within our country.
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- Apr/4/22 6:52:24 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is not the government's fault that we are out of time. I have been working on this issue since the 1980s. I was there when we signed a commitment at the Rio Earth Summit. Government after government has kicked this down the road, but it is the unlucky fortune of the current government to be in a place where we cannot kick it down the road anymore. The current plan put forward by the Minister of Environment does not do what is needed because, if it succeeds, it is going to get to 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, which is wholly inadequate. It also includes an increase in oil and gas production by 21% by 2030.
We do not have another chance. As the IPCC said today, it is now or never, and the stakes could not be bigger. The government is not missing a political target: It is condemning our children to an unlivable world, and that is not hyperbole. That is a fact. We only have so much time. We have to shut down Trans Mountain and have no new fossil fuel infrastructure.
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- Apr/4/22 6:53:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for raising this matter many times in the House of Commons. I also want to acknowledge and thank her for her lifelong, strong environmental advocacy on many issues that have affected Canadians and our planet. I know that, in her experience, she will recognize that the Government of Canada is known around the world for having one of the most comprehensive and ambitious climate plans right now. It is a plan that will reduce emissions by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
I want to mention some of the things that are in our emissions reduction plan because they worth highlighting. One is how our government will work with the oil and gas sector to cut methane emissions by at least 75% by 2030—
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- Apr/4/22 6:54:31 p.m.
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The hon. member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa.
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- Apr/4/22 6:54:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the cost of living continues to rise at record rates. In January, inflation in Canada surpassed 5% for the first time since 1991. Last week, we learned that the low-cost dollar store, Dollarama, plans to start selling items for $5 to keep up with inflation. I am sure many Canadians remember when Dollarama was indeed a dollar store. It was not that long ago.
Why is this important? The reality is that many Canadians rely on low-cost stores for essential goods. Canadians want to stretch their income as much as possible. They want to save what they can so they can get ahead one day. However, now Canadians are struggling to get by, never mind about getting ahead.
The price of fish is up 5.5%. The price of bread is up 7.5%. The price of fresh fruit is up 8.2%, and the price of meat is up 10.1%. As inflation continues to rise at record rates, it impacts Canadians on fixed incomes even more. Seniors, in particular, will not see an increase in their income for a long time, if ever, to keep up with the rising cost of living.
I spoke to a mother who told me that she could not afford to buy healthy food for her children. When the price of fresh meat and produce becomes unaffordable, Canadians fill their grocery carts with low-cost goods that lack the nutrition needed to live a healthy life. However, this is not just about food. The rural Canadians I represent are asking how much higher can gas prices go. Everyday errands, such as driving to work, are becoming unaffordable, and rural Canadians, in particular, do not have the option to take a bus or a subway. There is no alternative to filling up their gas tanks. They rely on their vehicles to live their lives.
It is clear that the value of one's hard-earned dollars is becoming worth less and less, and this government is directly responsible. The Governor of the Bank of Canada admitted that the Liberal carbon tax is directly fuelling inflation, and the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer reported what Canadians knew all along, that the carbon tax is leaving the majority of Canadians worse off financially.
The reality is that this Liberal government has no understanding of fiscal responsibility. This is the result of a Prime Minister who has piled on more debt to our nation than all the previous prime ministers combined, and now Canadians are paying the price every single day. Canadians know that higher spending today means rising inflation tomorrow. Canadians know that higher debt today means, unfortunately, higher taxes tomorrow.
This week, the new NDP-Liberal government will present its budget. Canadians are wondering how much more money this government will cost, so, I will ask for them: How much more money does this government plan to spend before it will turn the money-printing machines off?
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- Apr/4/22 6:57:56 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to respond to my hon. colleague from Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa this evening. I thank him for raising this important question on inflation and affordability, because all Canadians, at this point in their lives, are feeling the pain of inflation. All of us are feeling the pinch of affordability. No matter what riding we represent in Canada, we are dealing with individuals, day in and day out, who are seeing the difference.
I want to remind my hon. colleague that the current price increases for many of these goods, including gasoline and groceries, are the result of a global phenomenon driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the unprecedented challenge of restarting the world's economy following the COVID-19 pandemic. My colleague knows that. Other members of the opposition know that as well.
Quite simply, the idea here is that the price of goods quite often depends on events that are out of our control, thousands of miles away from where we live in our communities and in Canada. The member understands that. He understands this reality. Our government is focusing on targeted support measures here at home in our own country to help those families who need help to make ends meet. We have been doing it since the beginning of COVID-19, and we continue to do it. We will not turn our backs on Canadians, regardless of how many times the member opposite stands in the House and tries to blame the government for things that are out of our control and no matter how many times he stands in the House and complains because we give increased benefits to seniors, to people with disabilities, to people on low incomes and to families with children.
We have increased the child tax benefit. For the first time in 15 years, our government provided an increase to the northern tax deduction to help people who live in the north, who suffer the most significant problems with affordability and cost of living. We continue to fund programs through Nutrition North and through other subsidy programs that help bring down the cost of living. We have negotiated a $10-a-day community-based early learning and child care program with every province and territory in Canada. We have cut taxes for middle-class families. We have brought in incentives for homebuyers, and we have increased payments to families in regions all across the country. For example, in Ontario, that increase was $745. In Manitoba, it was $832. In Saskatchewan, it was over $1,000. Are these the investments we have made as a government that he wants to see cancelled, that he does not want to reach the families who need them?
We cannot have it both ways. We cannot talk about the need to support families at a time when the cost of living is going up and inflation is contributing to that, along with COVID and along with a war that is going on around the world, and then, the next day, talk about the fact that the government is spending money on Canadians. We do not get to have it both ways.
What I will say is that, when their government was in power, they did not add money to the Canada pension plan. They did not increase old age security or the guaranteed income supplement or goods and services tax rebates to the municipalities or northern tax deductions. Absolutely not, in fact, they did the opposite. They were looking for ways to pick money out of people's pockets by making seniors have to be 67 years of age—
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- Apr/4/22 7:02:00 p.m.
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The hon. member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa.
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- Apr/4/22 7:02:06 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there it is again. The Liberal government has no idea how their spending is impacting Canadians. Whether it be the Liberal carbon tax or their escalator tax on beer and wine, whether it be their refusal to pause the GST for fuel purchases or interest payments on record-level national debt, whether it be their expensive climate change policies that have failed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or their billion-dollar firearm buyback that will do nothing to address crime, the list goes on and on.
Canadians are tired of paying the Liberal government's bills. How much more debt will this NDP-Liberal government add to the backs of hard-working Canadians with their budget?
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- Apr/4/22 7:03:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we are the government that supports Canadians. We are the government that supports the very fibre of social programs that help families thrive in this country, programs that create new opportunities for them and for their children.
I want to say that the member opposite knows that Canadian families are being impacted by high inflation. He understands that we have to pay more for goods such as groceries and gasoline and that the contributing factors are those that are happening abroad with a war and without coming out of COVID-19. It has nothing to do with the fact that we as a government have supported Canadians through some of the toughest times in their lives.
I want to make it clear that I make no apologies for the investments that we make in Canadians. Whether they are seniors, whether they are people with disabilities or children or new immigrants, all Canadians deserve to have an affordable way to live, and we will continue to work with them to make that happen.
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- Apr/4/22 7:04:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the more time I spend here, the more time I hear the word “file”. There is the mental health file, the housing file, the disabilities file, the climate file. I cannot stand it, because the word “file” reduces deep systemic injustices into political speak. The fact is that climate is not a file. It is about whether we choose to continue living on a habitable planet.
Bill McKibben, who has been writing and organizing around the climate crisis since the eighties, would say, “Winning slowly is the same as losing.” This morning we had a reminder of that when climate scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued their latest warning. The co-chair's report says, “It's now or never”. If we want to limit global warming to 1.5° C, we must decrease and plateau emissions at the latest by 2025.
The scientists who wrote this 2,900-page report went on to say that they have a high confidence that unless countries around the world step up their efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the planet will be on average 2.4° to 3.5° C warmer by the end of the century, sailing past the target of increase by a maximum 1.5° C.
The UN Secretary-General went on to say:
We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5-degree limit agreed in Paris. Some government and business leaders are saying one thing—but doing another.
Simply put, they're lying. And the results will be catastrophic.
Back at home, what do we have? We have a so-called emissions reduction plan that tells Canadians a fairy tale that somehow we will keep increasing oil and gas production and give oil and gas $50 billion in a new subsidy for carbon capture and storage, a completely unproven technology, and the carbon intensity of the oil will magically disappear.
What is actually true? One recent study from the Netherlands found that the majority of carbon capture technology they looked at, 32 out of 40, actually emitted more carbon than they captured. More recently, over 400 academics and climate scientists and experts around the country shared that “carbon capture is a false climate solution.”
Even if we take the government at face value that there is $9.1 billion in new investments in its plan—and to be clear, there are some constructive investments in that plan—the unfortunate truth is that those investments are overshadowed, not only by that $50 billion I just mentioned but also by the $21.4 billion on the Trans Mountain pipeline, the cost of which has ballooned, which intends on increasing oil from 300,000 barrels to 890,000 barrels a day. As well, the government is ambiguous on its decision with respect to Bay du Nord, an oil drilling project off the coast of Newfoundland that would not even begin until 2028 but would allow drilling for another billion barrels of oil. All of this means that the government is gambling with our children's future.
I am not interested in hearing what others have to say about the plan; the only bar that matters is that of climate science. I wonder, knowing the hard work that parliamentary secretary is putting in and her good intentions, whether she can tell us if she—
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- Apr/4/22 7:08:07 p.m.
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The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
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- Apr/4/22 7:08:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am happy today to rise to speak about the emissions-reduction plan because it is ambitious and it is achievable. It is a plan that provides a road map across all sectors of our economy. This is not about one file, as the member opposite just stated. It is about taking an approach across all sectors to reduce emissions and to make sure that we build a clean future, sustainable jobs, and a strong economy going forward.
The plan is about healthier communities. It is about reliable and affordable energy, good jobs and clean air. It is important that, as an early deliverable under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, the plan is that the road map goes sector by sector with the measures needed for Canada to reach its ambitious and achievable emissions-reduction target of 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2050, in a fair and affordable way.
The scientific and economic imperative to reduce emissions is clear. As countries and businesses around the world race to transform their operations to net-zero emissions, it is critical that Canada be a leader and not be left behind. To create good jobs, grow a strong economy and build a brighter and healthier future for everyone, enhanced climate action is needed in our country today.
The member opposite mentioned not speaking about the accolades from the outside world, but it is important to mention that the plan has received support from environmental groups and the scientists who work behind them. It has received support from climate scientists such as Andrew Weaver, who was the head of the Green Party in B.C.
There is support from many actors, including industry, to show that this is a strong road map going forward. From transportation to the oil and gas sector to heavy industry, agriculture and building waste, every sector in every region has a role to play in meeting Canada's 2030 climate target. This plan includes, as was mentioned, $9.1 billion in new investments and a suite of new measures to help mobilize Canada toward a truly sustainable economy and becoming a leading competitor in the global transition to cleaner industries and technologies. For example, the plan makes it easier for Canadians to switch to electric vehicles by committing $1.7 billion to expand the iZEV purchase incentive program for light-duty vehicles and to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable.
Canada is uniquely positioned to be a global leader in this century of climate mitigation and adaptation, thanks to our abundance of natural resources, a highly skilled workforce and a strong financial system. This plan builds on the strong foundation set by the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change and the strengthened climate plan. Since 2015, the government has delivered $100 billion in investments for climate action, and these efforts are working. Thanks to the actions of millions of Canadians, we have been able to halt our once upward trend of the emissions curve and bend it downward. This road map will build on this progress and chart the course to lowering emissions by 40% below 2005 levels.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage, CCUS, is a significant opportunity for Canada. Projections show it will play a critical role in enabling a prosperous net-zero economy in Canada by 2050. It is a tool in the tool box, but it is not a silver bullet, nor have we said it would be. It is an important tool for us to use. It is an important component that will help us to tackle emissions—
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- Apr/4/22 7:12:14 p.m.
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The hon. member for Kitchener Centre.
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- Apr/4/22 7:12:16 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, if it is not a silver bullet, why are we giving them $50 billion for it? The fact is that this is not about whether the government wants to pat itself on the back or cite others who are. To get to 1.5°C means at least a 60% reduction by 2030. This is the first plan that is saying that the government is not actually going to do the range anymore: It is going to let go of the 45% part and aim for 40%. The potential pathway in this plan actually only adds up to 36%.
The question for the parliamentary secretary is the same. It is whether the government is going to choose to rise to the moment that we are in, to move past the partisanship of it all, and to invest in the kinds of climate solutions that we know are required not just for a potential pathway, but to ensure that we put together the proposals and the investments we need to—
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- Apr/4/22 7:13:16 p.m.
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The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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- Apr/4/22 7:13:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is important to note once again that the emissions reduction plan does chart a course across all sectors. However, the oil and gas sector is Canada's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and we will not be able to reach our target without significant contributions from our highest-emitting sector.
The emissions reduction plan presents modelling of the most economically efficient pathway to meeting Canada's 2030 target, and this modelling projects that the emissions from the oil and gas sector could decline by about 31% from 2005 levels to reach 110 megatonnes in 2030. This is a guidepost for action and will guide the Government of Canada's work with industry, stakeholders, the provinces and territories, indigenous peoples and others to develop a cap on oil and gas sector emissions.
Canada is positioning our industries to be green and competitive by helping industries adopt clean technology on their journey to net-zero emissions. This is the work we are doing and we will continue doing it.
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- Apr/4/22 7:14:20 p.m.
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The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).
(The House adjourned at 7:14 p.m.)
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