SoVote

Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

Oct/6/23 10:15:15 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister started off talking about something we should all know in this House, and that is that climate change is real. Last week in this House, somebody from the maritimes, from South Shore—St. Margarets, said that wildfires across this country were manmade and that the hurricanes affecting his own region have happened for hundreds of years. I am not from Newfoundland; I am from the Prairies. We saw some very similar issues with regard to transitioning workers and climate change, but what do we tell young people in our ridings? How do we respond to the fact that one of the major parties in this country refuses to admit that climate change is real in the House of Commons? On Friday, I was at a climate march in Montreal. I do not understand how I am supposed to speak to my constituents when we have a party that refuses to admit that climate change is real.

161 words

Context: House Hansard - 231 - Oct/6/23

Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

Oct/6/23 12:50:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last Thursday we were in the House, and the member brought up the fact that wildfires in Canada were man-made and that storms have been hitting his region for hundreds of years, and I was shocked. The next day I was in Montreal at a climate march with young people who were asking for real action on climate change in this country. The member just double downed on that in his response to my Liberal colleague. I have a serious question for him. Does he believe that climate change is real? Does he stand in the House and claim that climate change is not a factor in the hurricanes hitting his community, in the wildfires ravaging our communities and in the massive costs that are associated with that? Does he believe in climate change? Does he think it is real?

143 words

Context: House Hansard - 231 - Oct/6/23

Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Oct/6/23 12:52:04 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-49

Mr. Speaker, to my hon. colleague from South Shore—St. Margarets, let us just distinguish on the last point that was being made between who started a fire, whether it was a lightening strike or somebody who threw a cigarette butt out a window, and the fuel load in place that causes the wildfires. He knows this perfectly well because we have talked about this. We share many things, including a history in Nova Scotia. The month of May in Nova Scotia is historically wet and cold. One could not start a forest fire there if one tried most years for many years. However, year after year, recently, and very recently because of climate change and global warming, the month of May in Nova Scotia has been hot and dry. This year, for the first time, we had extensive wildfires because of climate change. Regardless of who lit the match that hit the fuel load, it was hot and dry and ready to catch fire because of climate change. As to the earlier points, the bill we are debating right now, Bill C-49, I am sure he will recall that it was our mutual friend, the late Pat Carney, who negotiated the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act. The difference between tidal power and offshore wind is that offshore wind is a fully developed technology and ready to implement. We are still working to try to develop tidal power as it is not yet fully formed. It has not yet solved the threats to fisheries.

270 words