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Decentralized Democracy

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson

  • Member of Parliament
  • Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
  • Liberal
  • North Vancouver
  • British Columbia
  • Voting Attendance: 61%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $134,232.65

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • May/27/24 12:34:41 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there was broad consultation with respect to this bill, and that work was done in lockstep with the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. When we brought that bill forward, what we saw on the part of the Conservative Party was seven weeks of filibuster, seven weeks of wasted time, seven weeks of wasted taxpayers' money talking about muscle cars and other irrelevant things. At the end of the day, we are moving forward in a manner that addresses the concerns of fish harvesters and others in both of these provinces. There is a regional environmental assessment under way, which will ensure that the concerns and thoughts of all relevant stakeholders, very much including fish harvesters, are heard. There are many examples around the world of a robust offshore wind industry existing alongside a very robust fishery. It is shocking that folks have such a limited view about the capabilities of the people who live in the provinces they are supposed to serve.
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Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • May/27/24 12:32:41 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there is an enormous economic opportunity for both of the provinces to pursue the work being done to enable offshore wind development and onshore wind development. As I said, I was in Germany recently. We are working very proactively with the German government to ensure there is a place for this hydrogen to go, that the commercial terms will actually work, that we see investment coming to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, and that jobs go to both of those provinces. My hon. colleague is exactly right about the history. The attacks by the Conservative Party on the Atlantic accords were shameful then. Given the active support of both governments under the Atlantic accords and the attacks on the Atlantic accords now, it is unbelievable that the parties across the way are willing to say they are effectively opposed to the Atlantic accords.
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Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • May/27/24 12:25:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as I have said before, this legislation was drafted alongside the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Nova Scotia, which also have a strong interest in and engagement with the fishing industry. Certainly, I know the FFAW very well. I spent two years as fisheries minister and had a highly constructive relationship with the FFAW. It is very important to me the concerns of fish harvesters are heard and are addressed in the context of moving forward. As I said, the fishery can very well and healthily exist alongside a healthy and robust offshore wind industry. This happens in the United Kingdom and many countries around the world. There is a regional environmental assessment that will look at all of these issues and ensure we are addressing these in a thoughtful and engaged way. There is an opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador and for Nova Scotia to have a robust and healthy fishery, which is very important for coastal communities, alongside a robust and prosperous offshore wind and hydrogen sector that will enable jobs and economic opportunity and will enable us to help our friends and allies in Europe to decarbonize and to improve energy security.
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Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • May/27/24 12:23:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in the provinces and territories, and especially in Nova Scotia, tidal power offers many opportunities. It is something very significant. A few Nova Scotia-based technology companies are active in this field, particularly in the Bay of Fundy. Of course, this could give us clean energy in the future. It is something that will gain momentum, just like our work with wind turbines offshore.
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Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • May/27/24 12:10:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, the legislation was drafted in collaboration with both provincial governments. Obviously, they are very concerned about the perspectives of fish harvesters, as are we. Fishing activities can coexist alongside the development of an offshore wind industry. We just need to look at the example of the United Kingdom and many other countries around the world. Proposed projects will have to go through a regional assessment that is ongoing now. That will certainly include significant input from fish harvesters as part of that process. In the development of the legislation, officials have engaged along the way with One Ocean, which I believe includes the FFAW, as well as the CNSOPB Fisheries Advisory Committee. The views of fish harvesters are and will continue to be very important, but it is certainly within the bounds of what is being done in many countries around the world that a healthy fishing industry and healthy renewable energy can coexist.
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Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • May/27/24 12:08:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, for all the reasons that my hon. colleague articulated, it is certainly important that we move forward. Other countries are moving, and Canada also needs to move. We do not have a regulatory structure to enable offshore wind at the present time. We need to get that in place to enable the development of a hydrogen industry that will help our friends and allies in Europe to decarbonize and improve their energy security. I was recently in Germany and met with the vice-chancellor. We are very hopeful that we will be able to move forward with Germany, but we certainly need to have the regulatory structure in place. We also need the investment tax credits, and we are certainly anxious to move the relevant bills through the House to ensure that they are, in fact, in place.
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Context: House Hansard - 250 - Nov/9/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)
  • Nov/9/23 2:48:05 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Mr. Speaker, as I have said before in the House, people may be entitled to their opinions but they are not entitled to their own facts. The commissioner this morning actually said that it was effective and it was working, and so do all of the academics. I do not know where that person gets her facts, but at the end of the day, the facts are the facts. The fact is that those folks do not have a plan for climate change, but they also do not have a plan for the economy. In fact, right now, in the natural resources committee, the Conservatives are blocking moving forward with Bill C-49, which is about enabling the development of an offshore wind and hydrogen program in Atlantic Canada, something that is supported by the Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is bizarre.
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Context: House Hansard - 243 - Oct/31/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)
  • Oct/31/23 2:59:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government adopts thoughtful approaches to public policy. We are addressing affordability concerns in a manner that is consistent with fighting climate change. However, the hon. member, I am amazed, is somebody who is actually opposing one of the greatest economic opportunities of our time in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is supported by the province, developed by the province and developed by companies in Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure that they develop an offshore wind industry and a hydrogen industry that is going to create jobs and economic opportunity in his riding and in ridings throughout the province.
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Context: House Hansard - 232 - Oct/16/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Oct/16/23 12:24:34 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Madam Speaker, last week, the Supreme Court confirmed that Parliament can enact environmental assessment legislation focused on environmental effects that fall within federal jurisdiction. The offshore area is an area of federal responsibility that we jointly manage with the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador under the accord acts. This is a great example of co-operative federalism that we have managed jointly for over 35 years. We certainly work very collaboratively with all the provinces in Atlantic Canada that he cited. In fact, later today, the premier of New Brunswick and the premier of Nova Scotia will be sitting down with me to talk about exactly those issues.
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Context: House Hansard - 232 - Oct/16/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Oct/16/23 12:14:44 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Madam Speaker, I find my colleague's speech a bit odd. This bill provides for an offshore wind farm, a clean energy source that will, of course, be very important for the future of Nova Scotia's and Newfoundland and Labrador's economy.
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Context: House Hansard - 232 - Oct/16/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Oct/16/23 12:13:20 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Madam Speaker, I would say a few things. The first is that the legislation was developed in concert with the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. The mechanisms under that are joint mechanisms that would require the federal government and the province to agree on a range of different things moving forward. That is the essence of collaborative, co-operative federalism. That is the essence of how the offshore accord acts have worked for a long time. I would say to my hon. colleague that it is amazing to me that he would oppose something that is so important for the economic future of Newfoundland and Labrador. Also, if he is interested in discussing amendments, he should let this go to committee to have that conversation.
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Context: House Hansard - 232 - Oct/16/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Oct/16/23 12:08:09 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Madam Speaker, we have debated this bill on a number of occasions at second reading, and we will debate it again this afternoon. It is important that this bill move to committee where it can be thoroughly examined and MPs can hear from experts on this bill. It is extremely important that we move expeditiously to capitalize on the enormous economic opportunities that are associated with offshore wind. Public Policy Forum released a report yesterday that showed just how important this is for the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. I would encourage my hon. colleague to perhaps have a conversation with the Conservative premier of Nova Scotia, who has worked collaboratively on this and wants to see it move quickly.
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Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Sep/19/23 10:51:32 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Madam Speaker, as the member knows, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick still rely significantly on coal, and there is a need to move away from coal. The Government of Nova Scotia has its own requirement to be off coal by 2030. One of the ways in which we can enable that is through the development of more renewables, and offshore wind offers the opportunity for large scale renewables to feed the grid.
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Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Sep/19/23 10:50:09 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
No, Madam Speaker, this bill is about enabling offshore wind. It has nothing to do with liquid natural gas, but there certainly are opportunities for liquid natural gas. LNG Canada phase one will be coming on stream in 2025 and the Woodfibre project probably not that long afterward. There are a number of other projects, including some that have been approved, like Cedar LNG. However, for liquid natural gas to make sense in the context of moving forward, it has to be done in a manner that is consistent with Canada's climate obligations and it has to be in a situation where it actually displaces heavier fossil fuels that are used in other countries. We have been working with the sector on that and we will continue working within the sector, but it is simply not appropriate to ignore our climate obligations. Canada has to meet its own climate targets and therefore it has to be done with that frame.
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Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Sep/19/23 10:44:17 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Madam Speaker, there is actually a fair bit of detail in the bill. The hon. member will know the ways in which offshore accord acts work. They are actually jointly done and must be agreed upon. There has to be mirror legislation introduced in Nova Scotia and in Newfoundland and Labrador. The bulk of it will be laid out in the bill. There will obviously be some in the legislation but that will be, of course, something that must be agreed upon between the provincial governments and the federal government.
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Context: House Hansard - 220 - Sep/19/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Sep/19/23 10:42:45 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Madam Speaker, Bill C-49 does indeed focus on renewable energy. It will allow us to launch a new offshore wind industry and foster a strong economy in Nova Scotia as well as in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is at the heart of this bill.
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Context: House Hansard - 202 - May/30/23
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • May/30/23 3:11:56 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-49 
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Kings—Hants for his consistent advocacy on this file. Canadians expect their governments to accept the scientific reality that is climate change and to take concrete and bold action, something our colleagues across the aisle could learn from. They also expect us to look to seize the economic opportunities that can be enabled through a transition to a lower-carbon future. One such opportunity is offshore wind to produce electricity and produce hydrogen. By 2040, the global offshore wind market is predicted to attracted $1 trillion of investments, and our east coast has some of the best resources in the world. Today I was pleased to introduce amendments to the offshore accord acts, the legislation—
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Context: House Hansard - 55 - Apr/7/22
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Natural Resources, Lib.)
  • Apr/7/22 2:40:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, certainly, as the hon. member would expect, ministers of the Crown work with their provincial counterparts across a range of issues all the time. I was very pleased to work with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to launch changes this week on the offshore energy boards to include renewable energies, offshore wind and hydrogen, and certainly to focus on the transition that will be happening with respect to energy down the road. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has been a great partner in that regard.
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Context: House Hansard - 37 - Feb/28/22
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson
  • Feb/28/22 3:06:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to supporting energy workers in Canada and certainly to working with Newfoundland and Labrador specifically, with the Lower Churchill project, which will provide Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with clean energy for decades to come, and the offshore emissions reduction fund to help offshore workers. We have been there and we will continue to be there, working strongly with Newfoundland and Labrador to advance the economic agenda of that province going forward.
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