CANADA VOLUME 134 S NUMBER 110 S 2nd SESSION S 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Friday, November 29, 1996 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) The House of Commons Debates are also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 6891 HOUSE OF COMMONS Friday, November 29, 1996 The House met at 10 a.m. Hopkins’ hopeful ending suggests that all may yet be well with God’s help. But this poem was written over 100 years ago and _______________ human technology is now outstripping nature. We as citizens of this planet must redress the balance with nature which is the only way Prayers to ensure a sustainable future for all humanity. Unless we change our attitude to the environment, we will destroy it and ourselves _______________ into the bargain. The time is now. This brings me to the bill before us today. Bill C-29 seeks to ban GOVERNMENT ORDERS the fuel additive MMT from Canadian fuels. I support the bill because the most efficient way to protect the environment is to [English] prevent pollution. Bill C-29 accomplishes this. MANGANESE-BASED FUEL ADDITIVES ACT Canadians know how important their environment is and they The House resumed from October 28 consideration of the expect the federal government to take a leadership role in preserv- motion that Bill C-29, an act to regulate interprovincial trade in and ing and protecting it. the importation for commercial purposes of certain manganese- based substances, be read the third time and passed; and of the Some members of the House may ask why Bill C-29 is impor- amendment and the amendment to the amendment. tant. Bill C-29 represents a prudent approach that ensures the Canadian consumers and the environment are protected. It deals Mr. John Finlay (Oxford, Lib.): Madam Speaker, in the past 30 with the uncertainty regarding the long term effects of MMT on to 40 years the evidence has been accumulating that all is not well advanced emission control technologies such as on board diagnos- with mother earth. The list of endangered species lengthens, the tics, OBD, that are now being built into the motor vehicle fleet on a flocks of migratory birds dwindle, the lakes and rivers die. Even widespread basis. the oceans are becoming toxic sinks. We are warned not to go out in the sun. A tan is no longer a sign of health. On board diagnostic systems are designed to monitor the perfor- mance of pollution control systems, particularly the catalysts, and The aboriginal people understood these things. Many young alert the driver to a malfunction. These systems prevent increased people understand them. Many adults do not, or will not. Our tail pipe emissions, including carbon monoxide and other hydro- modern, industrial, developed society is characterized in these carbons which impact on local air quality, as well as carbon words of the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins in his poem, God’s dioxide, the principal contributor to climate change. Grandeur: The world is charged with the grandeur of God. Properly functioning OBD systems are in essence an inspection It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; and maintenance tool in the vehicle, and inspection and mainte- It gathers to a greatness like the ooze of oil nance programs require vehicles to be tested on a periodic basis for crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? emissions. Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; and all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; The industry wide implementation of properly functioning OBD and wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell; the soil systems will permit all Canadians to benefit from an emissions is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. reduction strategy. For example, an assessment of the emissions And for all this, nature is never spent; benefit attributed to the air care inspection and maintenance There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; program in the Vancouver city area conducted on an annual basis And though the last lights off the black west went shows that hydrocarbon emissions have been reduced by 20 per Oh, morning, at brown brink eastward, springs— cent, carbon monoxide emissions by 24 per cent, nitrogen oxide because the Holy Ghost over the bent emissions by 2.7 per cent and fuel consumption by 5 per cent from world broods with warm breast and Ah! Bright Wings. the tested fleet. 6892 COMMONS DEBATES November 29, 1996 Government Orders Auto makers have indicated that if MMT remains in Canadian company, Ethyl, under NAFTA. The Canadian government, in gasoline they would take action, ranging from disconnecting OBD irresponsibly pushing this bill ahead, will once again be costing sensors to removal of the OBD systems and decreased warranty Canadians a great deal of money. provisions for automobile owners. General Motors of Canada has already advised the government that it has disabled certain func- tions of the OBD system on 1996 model year vehicles. Why does the government absolutely insist on adopting this bill, when it could simply be sent to a committee for study, as long as necessary to prove the environmental effects of MMT? Are there Fortunately, there are alternatives to MMT. Alternative fuels can harmful effects, yes or no? Could the validity of the Ethyl claim be replace this additive as an oxygen enhancer in gasoline. For verified? When it comes down to it, will we be stuck with a major instance, ethanol is a renewable fuel that I and many of my rural legal battle, with millions of dollars spent on defending Canada in a caucus colleagues have supported for its obvious environmental case about which we are not even certain? What is more, the and economic benefits. The ethanol plant in Chatham will have an governments of Alberta and Quebec have already announced that enormous economic benefit for southwestern Ontario. The plant they intend to take Ottawa to court, and they are not alone. A total will be producing over 150 million litres of this cleaner burning of six provinces have spoken out against the federal government’s fuel which will ensure that a better alternative to MMT as an bill on MMT, this gasoline additive which has not been proven oxygen enhancer is readily available for the Canadian consumer. harmful to health. D (1010 ) There are, therefore, some important elements to be considered: the cost to Canadians, and the tarnishing of Canada’s image by The earth is a global spaceship. The delicate envelope of defending a case about which there is no certainty under the free atmosphere which surrounds us is all the environment we have. As trade agreement. What is still more dramatic for Quebecers, human beings we share with all other species of animals and plants however, was summarized very aptly by the president of the this layer of air, soil and moisture. All citizens of Canada need to Canadian Petroleum Products Institute, Alain Perez, when he said keep in mind that wonderful picture of planet earth taken by ‘‘At this time, there are several factors threatening a Montreal astronauts which shows it swathed in blue green swirls of atmo- refinery, one of which is this bill’’. sphere floating in the black void of space. Is this one more case of the federal government putting Ontario Until all of us are aware of the finite, fragile and unique nature of before Quebec, or changing the rules of the game? The competitors our world, and treat it accordingly, we must pass laws which will are already in the marketplace, the rules of the game are already in protect this planet for future generations. Bill C-29 is such a law place, and if the refineries in the Montreal region are able to and I am proud to support it. survive, those in Ontario must be able to as well. If there are problems with ethanol production, efforts must be made to make it [Translation] more profitable, to improve production processes and other proce- dures, but not via political interference. Political interference changes the rules of the game. Mr. Paul Crête (Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, BQ): Mad- am Speaker, I am pleased to speak to this bill on manganese based additives, but at the same time I find it sad that the government D (1015) continues to obstinately insist on passing a bill to ban MMT, when there has been no proof of any real danger to the environment. We are seeing an increasing number of instances under the In this matter, the official opposition has had the very construc- current Liberal government. The same is being done with Canadian tive attitude that, yes, it would be worthwhile to look at this, that International. By playing this kind of game, the government is there would have to be impact studies, that we would have to look promoting unfair competition. On the one hand, the government at the potential advantages, impact and risks associated with this upholds a certain principle and the principle of free competition is additive. But the government has found no proof and has no supposed to rule the market, because it will make us competitive justification. It seems that the sole reason for the government’s and people will get a better deal. But on the other hand, whenever continuing pressures is the lobbying by Ontario MPs, who see this there is a very strong political lobby—in the case of Canadian, it is bill as a way of improving the cost-effectiveness of a not very western Canada, and in this particular case it is Ontario—environ- successful industrial sector in Ontario.