44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 17, 2023 11:00AM
- Apr/17/23 7:23:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I believe we can all agree that climate change is a very serious issue for Canada. Something has to be done about it, and inaction is no longer an option, at least not for the present government.
The truth is that climate change is already having serious effects in Canada. It is affecting our homes, cost of living, infrastructure, health and safety, and economic activity in communities across our country. While addressing climate change is an environmental imperative for this country, it is also an economic opportunity for all Canadians, and we cannot afford to be left behind. For example, the United States is moving forward with the Inflation Reduction Act, and it is important for Canada to keep pace.
We simply cannot miss this opportunity to participate in the transition to the clean economy. That is why we are proposing, in budget 2023, to make key investments in the clean economy. This will enable us to not only fight climate change but also create jobs for Canadians across the country, including in my colleague's home province, Alberta.
Our made-in-Canada plan, presented in budget 2023, is underpinned by a new federal tool kit for investing in the clean economy. We are proposing a set of clear and predictable investment tax credits, low-cost strategic financing and targeted investments and programming where necessary to respond to the unique needs of sectors or projects of national economic significance. Budget 2023 would ensure that a clean Canadian economy can deliver prosperity, middle-class jobs and more vibrant communities across Canada.
When it comes to our pollution pricing system itself, I would like to remind my colleague from Calgary Centre that it is putting money back in the pockets of Canadian households.
In 2023, through CAI payments, a family of four will have received $745 in Ontario, $832 in Manitoba, $1,101 in Saskatchewan and $1,079 in Alberta. In addition, those living in rural and small communities are eligible to receive an extra 10%. Households in these provinces started to receive their latest quarterly payment last week. Is my colleague against these payments to Canadian families?
Our government understands that many Canadians are still struggling to make ends meet in this period of high inflation. Canadians see it when they go to the grocery store, fill up their tanks and pay their rent. However, I would like to remind my colleagues that inflation is dropping. The inflation rate in Canada was 8.1% in June, and it is now 5.2%.
We do understand, however, that many Canadian families still need some support. That is why we are supporting those who need it the most, when they need it the most, with targeted measures. For example, we proposed in budget 2023 the new one-time grocery rebate. This targeted inflation relief has been designed to help support the Canadians hardest hit by rising food prices. The grocery rebate would help approximately 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians and families across the country. This would mean a one-time payment of up to an extra $467 for eligible couples with two children, up to an extra $234 for single Canadians without children, and an extra $225 for seniors, on average.
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- Apr/17/23 7:28:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as demonstrated by the recent federal budget, Canadians can continue to count on this government to implement measures that will protect the environment and create jobs at the same time. We have a plan to ensure that Canada is part of the clean economy, and we can all be proud of that.
Of course, we understand that some Canadians still need targeted inflation relief support, and that is why we are moving forward with our grocery rebate.
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- Apr/17/23 7:40:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the government takes any threat to our marine environment seriously. We are aware of and continue to monitor the ship recycling activities taking place in Union Bay, British Columbia.
Regarding the oil spill that was reported at Deep Water Recovery on November 22, the Canadian Coast Guard responded immediately. The Coast Guard confirmed that the source of the spill was land-based, from a vessel that is currently being removed from the marine environment by Deep Water Recovery as part of the deconstruction process. While a boom was deployed to minimize pollution, the spill amount was small and not recoverable.
No amount of oil spilled in our marine environment is acceptable. To this end, the Canadian Coast Guard has reminded the deconstruction company of its responsibilities under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, to prevent any release of oil or other pollutants from reaching the marine environment. As it is a land-based spill, the Coast Guard will assist Emergency Management British Columbia, which is the lead agency, if requested.
Canada's marine safety system ensures that we are ready and able to respond quickly to spills in Canadian waters, which include our three coastlines, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. We have a robust regime in place to respond to spills through our environmental response regulations and ship-source oil spill response organizations on each coast. Through the oceans protection plan, we are establishing 24-7 emergency response and incident management, increasing on-scene environmental response capacity, improving oil spill response plans, acquiring new environmental response equipment for the Canadian Coast Guard, sharing near real-time information on marine traffic with indigenous and coastal communities, and modernizing Canada's marine safety regulation and enforcement regime.
As announced in November, under the oceans protection plan, the Government of Canada will also develop, in consultation with other levels of government, indigenous groups and industry, a system to ensure an appropriate level of preparedness for marine pollution incidents. This system will also provide a framework to ensure an effective and consistent response to marine pollution incidents across the country and for post-incident recovery. Polluter accountability will be strengthened, and a formal role for indigenous communities, sustainable funding and appropriate legal protections will be put in place.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recognizes the importance of safe and environmentally sound practices for the recycling of ships. Ship recycling is recognized as the most environmentally sound method to dispose of ships at end of life. Currently, there is a robust federal and provincial legislative framework governing this activity. Many provisions affecting ship recycling facilities are governed by the provinces and territories, such as environmental and waste management and workplace occupational health and safety. Federal rules prohibit the release of pollutants into the marine environment.
The government knows that we can do more. Together, with provincial and territorial governments, Transport Canada is exploring whether there may be ways to enhance Canada's ship recycling rules.
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- Apr/17/23 7:45:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada takes any incident that threatens our marine environment with the utmost seriousness. The Canadian Coast Guard responded immediately to this incident. Moreover, building on our marine pollution preparedness response and recovery system, under the oceans protection plan renewal, we are exploring a single-window response for oil spills to ensure even better preparedness and greater accountability for polluters.
In terms of ship recycling, while Canada has some of the strongest rules globally, we are looking for ways to improve. As stated before, many of the legislative provisions that govern safe and environmentally responsible ship recycling fall under provincial jurisdiction. We are committed to working with provinces and territories to ensure that we have the safest recycling facilities in the world. This includes examining requirements under the European Union ship recycling regulation and the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships to determine what elements can be adopted in a Canadian context to address any gaps in federal legislation.
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