CANADA VOLUME 137 S NUMBER 005 S 1st SESSION S 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Friday, February 2, 2001 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire'' at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 143 HOUSE OF COMMONS Friday, February 2, 2001 The House met at 10 a.m. [English] _______________ That is why one of the key planks in the government’s plan for its third mandate is to ensure a clean, healthy environment for Canadians and the preservation of our natural species. Prayers For its part the Government of Canada has already made _______________ significant investments in the environment by supporting commu- nity initiatives, funding research, facilitating the development of new environmental technologies, supporting international environ- GOVERNMENT ORDERS mental initiatives, and strengthening measures to reduce air and water pollution. D (1005 ) [Translation] [English] Our work is paying off. Just last month at the world economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, a study was released which shows SPEECH FROM THE THRONE that, together with Finland and Norway, Canada is one of the top three countries in environmental sustainability. RESUMPTION OF DEBATE ON ADDRESS IN REPLY Canada ranks third on an environmental sustainability index, the The House resumed from February 1 consideration of the motion most comprehensive global report comparing environmental con- for an address to Her Excellency the Governor General in reply to ditions and environmental performance across 122 countries. her speech at the opening of the session and of the amendment. [English] Hon. David Anderson (Minister of the Environment, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, this is the first time I have rise in the House since your We can be proud of that progress, but we should not be content to election. I am delighted to see you in the chair. You have rest on our laurels. I would like to speak today to how the demonstrated great skill in the role as the Deputy Speaker. We look government intends to build on this and other environmental forward to one of the most productive parliaments that one could achievements to ensure the preservation of our vast landscape and possibly expect as a result of your leadership and your skills as the wealth of our natural resources for future generations to come. Speaker. Specifically I will address clean air and clean water, the con- I am pleased to rise to speak on the Speech from the Throne. As servation of Canada’s parks and species at risk, health protection Minister of the Environment it is my particular responsibility to and climate change. concern myself with Canada and our natural heritage from coast to coast to coast. [Translation] We are blessed to live in a country that is rich in nature, Our goal is to help Canadians push the frontiers of environmen- wilderness and ample resources. This rich natural heritage is a tal science and technology. Let me stress that science must be the sacred trust passed from one generation to the next. Indeed, as foundation of all our environmental policies. former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau used to remark [English] ‘‘geography and nature defines us as Canadians’’. [Translation] If we do not have the science right we obviously will not get the policies right. By investing in our science capacity and sustainable As Canadians, we understand that protecting the environment is practices we can harness the power of science to support our not an option. It is a must-do. Nothing is more fundamental in this environmental goals and to protect and promote the health of country. Canadians. 144 COMMONS DEBATES February 2, 2001 The Address [Translation] preventable measures for water hazards such as flooding. We have put some $135 million into supporting municipal projects through Science is already showing us that children do not react the same the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that protect the environ- way as adults to toxic substances. They are not small adults. They ment such as waste water treatment and solid waste management. are at the most delicate stage of development and one of the most at risk groups. [Translation] [English] The Speech from the Throne commits the government to do In its third mandate the first key step for the government will be more and to take leadership in developing stronger national to fill critical research gaps that exist now so that we can assist in guidelines for water quality. Drawing on expertise within the developing the appropriate standards to safeguard the special government and across Canada we will significantly strengthen the vulnerabilities of our children. role of the National Water Research Institute. Our science also tells us that some 5,000 Canadians annually die We will invest in research and development to protect surface prematurely because of air pollution. Hundreds of thousands of water and groundwater supplies from industrial and farming others suffer from aggravated asthma, and I am one of them, activities. We will fund further improvements to municipal water bronchitis, and other respiratory illnesses. Now we are learning and waste water systems. that air pollution affects our health at lower levels than we previously thought. [English] D (1010) We are also taking action to protect fragile ecosystems. We have [Translation] created seven new parks. We have also provided Parks Canada with an additional $130 million over four years to establish new parks, Canada has already launched the beginnings of a clean air manage the existing ones and build on our scientific capacity strategy. It addresses transboundary pollution, vehicle and fuel within the parks system. My neighbour, the Minister of Canadian standards, industrial sectors and the science of air quality. In so Heritage, will no doubt be saying more on this later in this debate. I doing, it engages Canadians and the communities in which they look forward to hearing her remarks. live to become part of the solution. In addition, the Government of Canada is committed to protect- [English] ing species at risk through strong and effective legislation, steward- ship to protect habitat, a productive recovery process in We have also reached other important national and bilateral partnerships with provinces, territories, stakeholders and aborigi- agreements related to air pollution. In December I had the pleasure nal groups. and privilege of signing on behalf of Canada the ozone annex to the 1991 Canada-United States air quality agreement, committing both I stress the importance of effective legislation. Duplicating less our countries to significantly reducing the creation of smog causing effective legislation elsewhere simply because it appears to be pollutants in the eastern half of this continent. stronger is not the way to go. Let us learn from the mistakes of In our new mandate the Government of Canada will move others, craft something totally Canadian and effective on the quickly to implement that ozone annex and to extend it to the ground, which is where we can protect species and the battle lines western part of the continent. The annex complements many other can be drawn. initiatives already underway to improve air quality in Canada itself, including the Canada-wide standards for particulate matter [Translation] and ozone agreed to by the federal, provincial and territorial governments only some six months ago. I will be reintroducing the species at risk act in the House today, but I want to point out that our strategy to protect species at risk is [Translation] already producing good results. The quality of our air is rightly one of the top concerns of D (1015) Canadians. So is the quality of our water. Indeed, the quality of our water is now preoccupying Canadians from all walks of life and all [English] levels of government. [English] Legislation is supported on the ground through voluntary activi- ties by conservation groups and individuals who are taking action The Government of Canada is committed to working with all to help protect species, protect habitat and conserve biodiversity partners and all levels of government to protect Canadians from the where it matters most: on the land, in our streams, oceans and dangers of polluted water. During their June 2000 meeting the forests. federal, provincial and territorial ministers of the environment agreed to establish three task groups to deal with water manage- Our strategy balances strong regulations with voluntary mea- ment issues including water quality, demand, use management and sures and incentives. When Canadians, for example, donate eco- February 2, 2001 COMMONS DEBATES 145 The Address logically sensitive lands to an environmental group, they can now Ultimately our climate change action plan will make the Cana- benefit from a 50% reduction in capital gains. dian economy more innovative and more competitive on the world scale. I applaud the Minister of Finance for his recognition of the importance of this measure in getting the goodwill and co-opera- [Translation] tion of landowners in the battle to protect habitat of species, endangered and otherwise. When fully implemented, the plan will take Canada one-third of the way to achieving the target established in the Kyoto protocol. It [Translation] will reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by about 65 megatonnes annually during the commitment period of 2008 to Let me turn now to the issue of global warming. Canada is 2012. extremely concerned about climate change, and with good reason. This is a major step forward that sets the stage for future The North, and our country is a northern country, is the area reductions and reflects the seriousness with which Canada takes its which perhaps is experiencing the most severe impacts of climate international commitments. change. We see that the ice is melting.