Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that the Prime Minister does not want to talk about climate change at the G20.
He promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 52 megatonnes, but only delivered a tenth of that.
He promised to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuels, but when he returned from Pittsburgh, he denied that these subsidies even existed.
Why is he the only G20 representative who still ignores the opinion of the scientific community regarding climate change and its effects?
Hon. Jim Prentice (Minister of the Environment, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I am surprised that the hon. member would have the temerity to raise the subject of climate change inaction by the government in the House.
In 2008, when the Liberals signed their coalition document, they called upon the government to sign an international agreement to reduce emissions and to work with the United States.
Since that time, we have signed an international agreement, the Copenhagen accord, and we signed the clean energy dialogue with the United States. We have actually reduced our emissions by 2%. We brought in a series or regulatory actions for light vehicles, trucks and heavy trucks. We are working on all sorts of other emissions, doing all of the things that they asked us to do. What is the problem?
Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.):
The problem, Mr. Speaker, is that he sounds like the under undersecretary of the environment in the United States.
Here is what the government’s own report confirms. Canada’s emissions will continue to rise every year until 2012. Stimulus spending is not expected to result in real or quantifiable reductions. The minister cannot monitor or verify clean air trust fund results despite giving the provinces $1.5 billion.
The Conservatives do not want climate change on the G20 agenda because, after 52 months and three ministers, there is absolutely nothing to show but failure.
Why will they not just stand up and admit it?
Hon. Jim Prentice (Minister of the Environment, CPC):
I am not sure, Mr. Speaker, who the under, under, undersecretary is. Perhaps my hon. colleague has met that person.
We have negotiated the Copenhagen accord. Over 120 countries internationally have now associated themselves with that accord, accounting for in excess of 90% of the world’s emissions. This is the way forward. The international community is now translating that accord into an international treaty.
Here in Canada, we are taking all of the regulatory domestic actions that we need to achieve the North American standards that we have agreed to. All of these are efforts that the former Liberal government never did, never achieved and never could.
