David McGuinty | David McGuinty - MP for Ottawa South/député d'Ottawa-sud

Dear friends,

I hope that you find the information contained in my website to be informative and helpful.

It is an honour and a privilege to serve you in the House of Commons. Please contact my office if I can be of assistance to you and your family.

Sincerely,

David McGuinty, M.P., Ottawa South

Conservatives Abdicating Responsibility for Resource Development

Posted on April 17, 2012

TORONTO AND OTTAWA— Liberal Environment critic Kirsty Duncan made the following statement today on Stephen Harper’s decision to gut regulations and abdicate the federal government’s responsibilities to perform rigorous environmental impact assessments for natural resource projects:

“Under the guise of ‘streamlining,’ the federal government is attempting to excise itself from the environmental review process, leaving provinces to fend for themselves. This is convenient for the Conservatives, who continue to gut Environment Canada of its scientists and environmental experts, who are now expected to perform the same work with less, and within newly imposed rigid timeframes.”

Liberal Energy and Natural Resources critic David McGuinty continued:

“This appears to be more about the fast-tracking of federal government revenues than serious and important regulatory reform. The downloading of environmental assessments to provinces, the imposition of arbitrary timelines, the censoring of independent voices in the hearings process – these all amount to an incoherent plan buried in a budget bill so as not to see the light of day. In that regard, I am calling on the government to introduce separate legislation to deal with these issues and immediately refer that legislation to a House of Commons Legislative Committee.

Vesting the decision making power for natural resources projects in a single Minister or Cabinet is a dangerous power grab which can only compromise an objective and evidence-based approach to the exploitation of our natural resources.”

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Liberal Statement on the Keystone XL Pipeline Decision

Posted on January 19, 2012

OTTAWA– Liberal Energy and Natural Resources critic David McGuinty made the following statement on the decision by President Barack Obama regarding the Keystone XL pipeline:

“The Liberal Party of Canada supports the sustainable development of our natural resources. Nevertheless, large-scale developments like the Keystone XL pipeline, the oil sands or the Northern Gateway proposal must adhere to the most stringent environmental assessment and review.

In approving these projects federal governments have a unique and crucial responsibility to balance economic development, energy security, environmental and socio-economic factors to arrive at a decision that is in the best interests of their citizens.

In that vein, President Obama made a decision which he feels is in the United States’ national interest. In Canada, we encourage our federal government to develop and adhere to free and open environmental assessment processes that allow for substantive public debate and input from stakeholders, including Aboriginal peoples, as it considers our future economic prosperity.”

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Liberals Welcome 2012 as the World Year of Sustainable Energy

Posted on January 9, 2012

OTTAWA AND TORONTO – Liberal Natural Resources critic David McGuinty and Liberal Environment critic Dr. Kirsty Duncan made the following statement today in advance of the opening of the 2012 European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy World Sustainable Energy Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Liberals warmly welcome the United Nations’ designation of 2012 as the World Year of Sustainable Energy. There can be no doubt that encouraging member countries to implement sustainable energy strategies is imperative. Liberals understand that the groundwork for sustainability must be laid in a manner that is both environmentally and economically advantageous – and that a vibrant 21st Century world economy is dependent on such innovation,” said Mr. McGuinty.

“In June 2012, the world will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the historic Rio Conference on Environment and Development – a conference that will forever be remembered for coining the term ‘sustainable development’. Now, more than ever, it is time for nations to recognize that time is of the essence if we are to be true to those words and reverse the damaging effects of climate change,” he concluded.

“The World Sustainable Energy Conference in Geneva is a critical step on the road to the UN Rio + 20 Conference on Sustainable Development scheduled for June,” added Dr. Duncan. “Europeans will be seeking solutions and consensus on green job creation strategies and we wish them every success.”

Concluded Dr. Duncan, “Liberals will be closely monitoring all developments leading up to Rio + 20, and we urge the Conservative government to take a leadership role at that Conference instead of the obstructionist role recently taken at Durban where Canada abandoned previously agreed upon international climate change obligations. Liberals are also calling on the government, in this World Year of Sustainable Energy, to review any gaps in the implementation of Canada’s Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. ”