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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 222

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 21, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 222 - Sep/21/23
Mr. Mike Kelloway (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)
  • Sep/21/23 3:05:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, indeed this past year, from September 2022 to September 2023, it has been a tough time in Nova Scotia. We have had three natural disasters. We have had floods, hurricanes and fires. That has impacted us financially with three billion dollars' worth of costs. It has impacted lives and it has cost lives. We have a plan to address that. However, what I hear in the chamber time and time again from the opposition and the opposition leader, who has also been here a year, when it comes to the environment and to renewable jobs in Atlantic Canada that will be coming to us because of the Atlantic accord, is grifting, gaslighting and general goofiness.
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Context: House Hansard - 222 - Sep/21/23
Mr. Chris Bittle (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)
  • Sep/21/23 5:41:17 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for highlighting the costs of inaction on climate change. When he asked the question back in June, I remember we were debating on many occasions the Conservative Party's seeking to make pollution free in this country, even though we could not see into Gatineau because the smoke was so thick here in Ottawa. I would like to begin by expressing my deepest sympathies to the people across the country who have experienced extreme weather events. This summer alone, thousands of Canadians across the country have been displaced. Severe storms, floods, wildfires and heat waves have all forced families out of their homes. Canadians face real financial risk posed by these disasters and want affordable property insurance. Disasters caused by natural hazards can be difficult to insure, and leave some Canadians financially vulnerable. That is why we will be launching a new insurance-based approach to address gaps in coverage and help Canadians get the insurance they can afford. As a first step, we are working to stand up a low-cost flood insurance program aimed at protecting households at high risk of flooding and without access to adequate insurance. All levels of government have a role to play in improving Canada's resiliency to disasters caused by natural hazards such as floods. Therefore, we will be partnering with provinces and territories to develop and implement the program. We will also be working with the insurance industry on solutions for earthquake insurance and other evolving climate-related insurance-market challenges. Insurance is just one part of the federal government's work to improve climate resiliency. It complements the work we are doing on flood risk management, such as the creation of an online flood risk awareness portal. At the same time, we are ensuring that any new investments we make in housing are climate compatible and help move Canada toward achieving its 2050 goal of net-zero emissions. I do not have time to outline all of the initiatives we are undertaking, but I will mention quickly the national housing strategy, which is a 10-year, $82-billion plan to prioritize projects that includes energy-efficient criteria that go above and beyond the National Building Code. Further, programs like Canada greener affordable housing will help affordable housing providers to make deep energy retrofits to existing housing. Climate change and related climate disasters are the top concern for people and families across the country. The federal government is working closely to protect these Canadians during these times.
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