Global-warming and Kyoto (October 1, 2006)
Hansard Highlights from Sept. 18, 2006
Global-warming and Kyoto
The government in this exchange defended itself over the Environment and its skepticism towards the Kyoto Global Warming Religion – weakly.
Mr. Mark Warawa (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, clearly the hon. member is not aware of the extent of discussions this government is having with the provinces and territories on initiatives that address clean air, clean water, clean land and climate change. In fact, in the last few days the Minister of the Environment has called all of the provincial environmental ministers, including Mr. Béchard in the province of Quebec.
On the specific issue of the Government of Quebec, there have been discussions between the federal government and Quebec on a variety of issues, including climate change. The Minister of the Environment met her Quebec counterpart, Mr. Béchard, several months ago and climate change was the primary topic of discussion. Her office is in regular contact with Mr. Béchard’s office. The new deputy minister of the environment met his provincial counterpart on May 29, less than one week after he was appointed, and discussions occur on a regular basis.
We were pleased when the Government of Quebec tabled its climate change plan a few months ago. This gives us a clear idea where the province sees opportunities for emissions reductions and provides us at the federal level with clearly identified areas where we are able to collaborate with it. There are already ways in which we are well aligned with Quebec in our priorities. We look forward to working together for the betterment of Canada’s environment and the health of all Canadians.
Several announcements in the current budget will help Quebec in its efforts. These include a tax credit for transit passes, the largest investment in clean public transportation infrastructure in Canada’s history, and a commitment to implement an average 5% renewable fuel content by 2010. We are not only talking to Quebec. We are in discussions with all provinces, territories and key stakeholders regarding opportunities for investment in transit infrastructure and the commitment to renewable content in fuels. These are all tangible measures.
Concrete measures which have real results will provide cleaner air for all Canadians and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions too. This is just the start. We will continue to build on these measures and create an environmental agenda focused on ensuring that future generations enjoy clean air, clean water, clean land and clean energy here in Canada, a plan which will reduce air contaminants and greenhouse gases and will improve the health of Canadians.
So genuine pollution issues aside, I think the government has bought in to this “climate change” and “greenhouse gases” nonsense in its own way. It is not doing us any favors by deliberately mixing up the issues of pollution and climate change – which confuses the public.
So its opposition to Kyoto is weak and not based on a real concern about the threats we face to our freedoms – through taxes and regulations – from attempts by governments to control greenhouse gases. It’s hard to give the Conservatives credit under these circumstances but I suppose I have to give them a little.
I object to the idea that anyone has a right to force human beings to stop producing greenhouse gases. We are part of nature and have as much right to produce carbon dioxide or methane as some swamp or volcano.
And no government should play God, but that’s all they want to do in one way or another. And climate change policies will not work to reduce global warming – this is the most unbelievable thing. To force costs up, to create new taxes and new regulations that override property rights is to interfere even more with our lives and threaten our well-being. And their theory should be questioned as to how much humans are contributing to climate change.
The logical conclusion of policies such as Kyoto is to reduce us to total serfdom. On the one side we have the war-mongers taking our resources and freedoms for their wars, and from the other side (?) we have the climate change dictators ready to pounce on what remains of our property rights and capacity to make independent economic choices. And both sides rely on lying propaganda and bullying one-sided tactics. This is where the “left”-“right” paradigm leads us.
Can you imagine government getting smaller in a global carbon reduction regime? No. How big do you want your government? Well, let’s start with:
Here is one type:
…efforts to implement international and regional taxes on hydrocarbon energy fuels that cause global warming. Such taxes would correct market failures by internalizing economic externalities, such as pollution, enabling the price of goods and services to reflect full social and environmental costs.
More background:
Kyoto Protocol: Position of Canada