CANADA
Trudeau vows to go 'further, faster' on climate policy in his third term
, Bloomberg News
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sketched out his government’s third-term agenda, emphasizing the need for strong action on climate change as Canada grapples with unprecedented flooding along its Pacific coast.
Building a resilient post-pandemic economy, underpinned by the country’s first national childcare plan, and continuing to address the historic harms done to Indigenous people are also top priorities, the government said Tuesday during a so-called throne speech in Ottawa.
The broad-strokes address, delivered by Governor General Mary Simon but written by the prime minister’s office, comes two months after the government was returned to power. Though the incumbent Liberals won a plurality of seats, they lost the popular vote and failed to secure the parliamentary majority Trudeau had coveted, leaving him reliant on opposition parties to pass legislation.
“The government is taking real action to fight climate change. Now, we must go further, faster,” Simon said, according to the prepared text of the speech. “That means moving to cap and cut oil and gas sector emissions, while accelerating our path to a 100 per cent net-zero electricity future.”
After a first term dominated by Donald Trump’s election in the U.S., and a second sent off course by COVID-19, Trudeau begins his third mandate facing a climate crisis in British Columbia.
B.C. FLOODING
Vancouver, Canada’s third largest city and a key shipping port, was essentially cut off from the country by road and rail last week after torrential rains put large swathes of farmland under water. The westernmost province, which also saw hundreds die amid wildfires and extreme heat this summer, is now rationing fuel as soldiers race to shore up infrastructure with another wave of precipitation rolling through.
On top of reiterating its election pledge to cap oil and gas emissions while sharply increasing its carbon tax, Trudeau’s government vowed to create Canada’s first climate adaptation strategy, invest in public transit and mandate the sale of zero-emissions vehicles. But like much of the speech, it was short on details.
Other highlights include promises to:
- Keep COVID-19 under control through vaccine mandates and the procurement of boosters and newly approved doses for children, as well as working with provinces to strengthen the health-care system;
- Extend income supports for sectors hardest hit by the pandemic in the short term, while addressing longer-term challenges by completing the roll-out of the national daycare plan and following through with pledges to build more affordable housing units and help first-time buyers get into the market;
- Reintroduce legislation to regulate streaming and social-media companies that was stuck in the Senate when the election was triggered;
- Keep communities safe with a mandatory buyback of banned assault-style weapons and by working with jurisdictions that want to ban handguns;
- Continue working with key allies on global issues, with a focus on deepening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and across the Arctic.
- While the Liberal government will likely win support for its environmental and social policies from the left-leaning New Democratic Party, the main opposition Conservatives are railing against the price tag attached.
“The cost of living is driven by the cost of government,” Conservative lawmaker Pierre Poilievre told reporters before the speech, noting that annual inflation -- now running 4.7 per cent, the highest since 2003 -- is more than twice as high as both wage growth and the Bank of Canada’s target. “When you spend more, it costs more.”
But Trudeau’s government appears undaunted. After posting a record-smashing deficit of more than $300 billion (US$236 billion) in the fiscal year that ended March 31 and promising $78 billion in additional spending over five years on top of the $140 billion it unveiled in its April budget, the Liberals aren’t dialing back their ambitions.
“The decade got off to an incredibly difficult start, but this is the time to rebuild,” Simon said. “This is the moment for parliamentarians to work together to get big things done, and shape a better future for our kids.”
The Trudeau Government’s speech from the throne warns that ‘Earth is in danger’
The federal government issued a stern warning about the coming decades when Governor-General Mary Simon opened the 44th parliament, describing a world “at risk” from climate change and urging lawmakers to translate “talk into action.”
Ms. Simon delivered the minority Liberal government’s roadmap in the Senate on Tuesday, stressing that limiting greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change and adapting to the changes already caused by warming temperatures are among the top priorities.
The speech did not contain any new promises from the Liberal Party, which instead highlighted key priorities from their long list of campaign promises.
“Getting the pandemic under control” and creating a “more resilient economy” were the other two top priorities set by the government. The economy is often mentioned in the speech, but there is only one reference to inflation, which leads to the largest price increase in almost two decades.
The throne speech was quickly rejected by the Conservatives and the NDP. Despite this, the Liberal minority government has no risk of falling because the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, said his party was willing to “live with this blank piece of paper.”
Nearly a week into BC’s state of emergency, prompted by devastating floods and mudslides, the series of climate disasters the province has suffered since the summer was mentioned at the top of the section on trontale written by the Prime Minister’s Office. In the speech, the government pledged to do more to “prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastal erosion and other extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.”
The risk of not acting was emphasized in the introductory section written by Mrs Simon’s office.
“Our land is in danger,” said Mrs. Simon. “From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our country and our people need help.”
“We can not afford to wait.”
The Throne speech was the first for Mrs. Simon, who was taken the oath in July, and became the first native to serve as the Queen’s representative in Canada. In a historic first time, she kept the address alternating between Inuktitut, French and English. Rideau Hall said Tuesday’s speech marked for the first time that more than one greeting would be delivered in a native language during a throne speech.
The late launch of this autumn’s parliamentary session means that the Liberals have only four weeks to lead key government bills through the House of Commons – a short time frame made more difficult because the opposition has more power to influence the agenda of a minority parliament. The Liberals waited more than two months to recall MEPs to parliament after the September federal election.
On the heels of the campaign’s minority result, Mrs Simon said the direction of the electorate was clear. “Not only do they want parliamentarians to work together to put this pandemic behind us, they also want bold, concrete solutions to meet the other challenges we face.”
However, the official opposition conservatives and the fourth-place NDP both said they would vote against the speech.
“There is nothing in the throne that is about inflation, the cost of living crisis, the national unity crisis, there is no plan to get people to work,” said Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh noted that the Liberals have dropped their promise to introduce a universal drug program, which was promised in the throne last year. “We see a throne speech that does not respond to the urgency of the crises we are facing,” he said.
Nearly two years into the pandemic, the government said the “best way” to bring it under control was through COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots. Ms. Simon looks forward to Ottawa strengthening the public health system and working with the provinces and territories on issues such as delayed surgeries and access to rural care.
To tackle rising inflation, Mr. Trudeau’s government said it would address the rising cost of living by acting on its election promises to ensure access to affordable housing and childcare across the country, Ms said. Simon.
The government also reaffirmed its plan to go for “more targeted support” for sectors still affected by the pandemic, and said it would ensure it “carefully manages spending.”
Ms. Simon reiterated the Prime Minister’s position that the government “must go further, faster” in order to take “real action” against climate change. She said the government would focus its efforts on limiting and then lowering emissions from the oil and gas sector; accelerate efforts to reach a 100 percent net-zero electricity grid; investment in public transport and injunction for the sale of zero-emission vehicles; and steadily rising carbon prices.
Mrs Simon said during the speech that reconciliation is not a “single act, nor does it have an end date.”
“It’s a lifelong journey of healing, respect and understanding,” she said.
Ms. Simon also said that “reconciliation cannot come without truth.”
In this mandate, the government intends to create a national monument in honor of survivors from housing schools, a long-standing call from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It also plans to appoint a special interlocutor to “promote justice” in private schools, which was first announced in August.
Ottawa also plans to move forward with an excellence-based mental health and wellness strategy for First Nations, Inuit and Métis governed by indigenous peoples, survivors and their families.
It also intends to ensure that there is “fair and equitable” compensation for those harmed by the First Nations Child Welfare System. The Liberal government is currently engaged in closed-door discussions with parties, including the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, hoping to reach an out-of-court settlement on the matter by the end of the year.
:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/FAOREVCT45OIJBZHE6NBGCYOFE.JPG)
The federal government issued a stern warning about the coming decades when Governor-General Mary Simon opened the 44th parliament, describing a world “at risk” from climate change and urging lawmakers to translate “talk into action.”
Ms. Simon delivered the minority Liberal government’s roadmap in the Senate on Tuesday, stressing that limiting greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change and adapting to the changes already caused by warming temperatures are among the top priorities.
The speech did not contain any new promises from the Liberal Party, which instead highlighted key priorities from their long list of campaign promises.
“Getting the pandemic under control” and creating a “more resilient economy” were the other two top priorities set by the government. The economy is often mentioned in the speech, but there is only one reference to inflation, which leads to the largest price increase in almost two decades.
The throne speech was quickly rejected by the Conservatives and the NDP. Despite this, the Liberal minority government has no risk of falling because the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, said his party was willing to “live with this blank piece of paper.”
Nearly a week into BC’s state of emergency, prompted by devastating floods and mudslides, the series of climate disasters the province has suffered since the summer was mentioned at the top of the section on trontale written by the Prime Minister’s Office. In the speech, the government pledged to do more to “prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastal erosion and other extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.”
The risk of not acting was emphasized in the introductory section written by Mrs Simon’s office.
“Our land is in danger,” said Mrs. Simon. “From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our country and our people need help.”
“We can not afford to wait.”
The Throne speech was the first for Mrs. Simon, who was taken the oath in July, and became the first native to serve as the Queen’s representative in Canada. In a historic first time, she kept the address alternating between Inuktitut, French and English. Rideau Hall said Tuesday’s speech marked for the first time that more than one greeting would be delivered in a native language during a throne speech.
:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/WQL3VVWESFI6XKQR2R3HEUGCRU.JPG)
The late launch of this autumn’s parliamentary session means that the Liberals have only four weeks to lead key government bills through the House of Commons – a short time frame made more difficult because the opposition has more power to influence the agenda of a minority parliament. The Liberals waited more than two months to recall MEPs to parliament after the September federal election.
On the heels of the campaign’s minority result, Mrs Simon said the direction of the electorate was clear. “Not only do they want parliamentarians to work together to put this pandemic behind us, they also want bold, concrete solutions to meet the other challenges we face.”
However, the official opposition conservatives and the fourth-place NDP both said they would vote against the speech.
“There is nothing in the throne that is about inflation, the cost of living crisis, the national unity crisis, there is no plan to get people to work,” said Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh noted that the Liberals have dropped their promise to introduce a universal drug program, which was promised in the throne last year. “We see a throne speech that does not respond to the urgency of the crises we are facing,” he said.
Nearly two years into the pandemic, the government said the “best way” to bring it under control was through COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots. Ms. Simon looks forward to Ottawa strengthening the public health system and working with the provinces and territories on issues such as delayed surgeries and access to rural care.
To tackle rising inflation, Mr. Trudeau’s government said it would address the rising cost of living by acting on its election promises to ensure access to affordable housing and childcare across the country, Ms said. Simon.
The government also reaffirmed its plan to go for “more targeted support” for sectors still affected by the pandemic, and said it would ensure it “carefully manages spending.”
Ms. Simon reiterated the Prime Minister’s position that the government “must go further, faster” in order to take “real action” against climate change. She said the government would focus its efforts on limiting and then lowering emissions from the oil and gas sector; accelerate efforts to reach a 100 percent net-zero electricity grid; investment in public transport and injunction for the sale of zero-emission vehicles; and steadily rising carbon prices.
Mrs Simon said during the speech that reconciliation is not a “single act, nor does it have an end date.”
“It’s a lifelong journey of healing, respect and understanding,” she said.
Ms. Simon also said that “reconciliation cannot come without truth.”
In this mandate, the government intends to create a national monument in honor of survivors from housing schools, a long-standing call from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It also plans to appoint a special interlocutor to “promote justice” in private schools, which was first announced in August.
Ottawa also plans to move forward with an excellence-based mental health and wellness strategy for First Nations, Inuit and Métis governed by indigenous peoples, survivors and their families.
It also intends to ensure that there is “fair and equitable” compensation for those harmed by the First Nations Child Welfare System. The Liberal government is currently engaged in closed-door discussions with parties, including the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, hoping to reach an out-of-court settlement on the matter by the end of the year.
:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/RJII3O5C75PKHIV3XGVN54N76Q.JPG)
Opposition parties feeling left out as federal throne speech outlines Liberal agenda
Immediately after the speech was read, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet signalled his party will support what he called '24 pages of completely empty words'
Author of the article:
The Canadian Press
Joan Bryden
Publishing date: Nov 23, 2021
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threw few bones to opposition parties Tuesday in a throne speech that recapped the election platform that produced a second consecutive Liberal minority government.
A vote on the throne speech will be the first confidence test for the government, with the Liberals’ survival dependent on the support of at least one opposition party.
Nevertheless, Trudeau made little effort in the throne speech to secure the support of any of the other parties, choosing instead to reiterate in broad strokes Liberal promises to finish the fight against COVID-19 and rebuild a more resilient, fairer, greener economy.
Voter anger over Trudeau’s decision to call an election in the midst of the pandemic dashed his hopes of capturing a majority on Sept. 20. He is now evidently counting on that anger to dissuade opposition parties from triggering another election anytime soon, relieving him of the necessity to modify his agenda to satisfy any of them.
It’s a gamble that appears to have paid off, at least on the throne speech.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, the first Inuk person to serve in the role, centred the theme of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Tuesday’s speech from the throne with an introduction — delivered in English, French and Inuktitut — that she had written herself.
“I encourage you to seek out the truth, and to learn about the lived realities in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities,” Simon said in the speech delivered in the Senate chamber.
“Although each community is distinct, we all share a desire to chart a way forward together towards reconciliation.”
She also touched upon the finding by First Nations of hundreds of unmarked graves on the sites of former residential schools across Canada earlier this year.
“We cannot hide from these discoveries. They open deep wounds,” she said in French.
At the same time, she said there is hope.
“Reconciliation is not a single act, nor does it have an end date. It is a lifelong journey of healing, respect and understanding,” she said.
Immediately after the speech was read by Simon in the Senate chamber, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet signalled his party will support what he called “24 pages of completely empty words.”
“Supporting might not be the best word. We will live with this empty piece of paper, gently read in three languages,” he said, adding it’s impossible to vote against “apple pie.”
Advertisement
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party is considered the most likely dance partner for the Liberals, panned the speech for failing to even mention his party’s priorities, including pharmacare, continuing pandemic supports and boosting annual health transfers to the provinces.
“This is not a speech that looks like they want to work together,” Singh said, warning Trudeau not to take NDP support for granted.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said his party will oppose the throne speech, which he lambasted for failing to lay out a plan for reviving the economy, particularly the skyrocketing cost of living.
Despite winning only a minority of seats, Trudeau asserted in the speech that Canadians gave parliamentarians clear direction in the Sept. 20 election.
“Not only do they want parliamentarians to work together to put this pandemic behind us, they also want bold, concrete solutions to meet the other challenges we face,” the speech said.
“This is the moment for parliamentarians to work together to get big things done and shape a better future for our kids.”
There were no surprises in the speech, which reiterated the promises the Liberals made in their election platform and focused largely on economic recovery from the pandemic.
The pillars of that recovery will be more aggressive action to combat climate change, measures to produce more affordable housing and finishing negotiations with two holdout province and two territories that have yet to sign onto the Liberals’ $10-a-day national child care program.
Reconciliation was also a major theme of the speech, delivered partly in Inuktitut, as well as French and English, by Simon, the first Indigenous person to hold the viceregal post.
She opened the speech with her own reflections on the pain caused by the discovery last spring of what are believed to be hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of two former residential schools.
“We cannot hide from these discoveries; they open deep wounds,” Simon said, adding that “despite the profound pain, there is hope.”
Among other things, the speech promised to create a national monument to honour residential school survivors.
Simon also issued a personal call for action on climate change.
“Our Earth is in danger. From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our land and our people need help. We must move talk into action and adapt where we must,” she said.
Amid extreme flooding and landslides in British Columbia, the speech reiterated the Liberals’ promise to develop the first-ever national adaptation strategy to help Canadians adjust to the changing climate.
It argued that growing the economy goes hand in hand with protecting the environment and that now is the time to “go further, faster” on combating climate change.
It promised to “strengthen action to prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastline erosion and other extreme weather worsened by climate change.”
The speech — delivered to a much smaller than usual audience of masked dignitaries, senators and MPs in a bid to maintain physical distance — sketched only the broad outlines of the government’s agenda with few details.
It argued that ending the pandemic “for good” is the best way to revive the economy.
But with employment now back to pre-pandemic levels and almost 90 per cent of Canadians fully vaccinated, the speech reiterated the Liberals’ plan to replace emergency benefits that kept millions of Canadians and business afloat during the pandemic with more targeted aid for those hardest hit by the health crisis.
— Additional reporting by Erika Ibrahim
Author of the article:
The Canadian Press
Joan Bryden
Publishing date: Nov 23, 2021
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threw few bones to opposition parties Tuesday in a throne speech that recapped the election platform that produced a second consecutive Liberal minority government.
A vote on the throne speech will be the first confidence test for the government, with the Liberals’ survival dependent on the support of at least one opposition party.
Nevertheless, Trudeau made little effort in the throne speech to secure the support of any of the other parties, choosing instead to reiterate in broad strokes Liberal promises to finish the fight against COVID-19 and rebuild a more resilient, fairer, greener economy.
Voter anger over Trudeau’s decision to call an election in the midst of the pandemic dashed his hopes of capturing a majority on Sept. 20. He is now evidently counting on that anger to dissuade opposition parties from triggering another election anytime soon, relieving him of the necessity to modify his agenda to satisfy any of them.
It’s a gamble that appears to have paid off, at least on the throne speech.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, the first Inuk person to serve in the role, centred the theme of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Tuesday’s speech from the throne with an introduction — delivered in English, French and Inuktitut — that she had written herself.
“I encourage you to seek out the truth, and to learn about the lived realities in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities,” Simon said in the speech delivered in the Senate chamber.
“Although each community is distinct, we all share a desire to chart a way forward together towards reconciliation.”
She also touched upon the finding by First Nations of hundreds of unmarked graves on the sites of former residential schools across Canada earlier this year.
“We cannot hide from these discoveries. They open deep wounds,” she said in French.
At the same time, she said there is hope.
“Reconciliation is not a single act, nor does it have an end date. It is a lifelong journey of healing, respect and understanding,” she said.
Immediately after the speech was read by Simon in the Senate chamber, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet signalled his party will support what he called “24 pages of completely empty words.”
“Supporting might not be the best word. We will live with this empty piece of paper, gently read in three languages,” he said, adding it’s impossible to vote against “apple pie.”
Advertisement
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party is considered the most likely dance partner for the Liberals, panned the speech for failing to even mention his party’s priorities, including pharmacare, continuing pandemic supports and boosting annual health transfers to the provinces.
“This is not a speech that looks like they want to work together,” Singh said, warning Trudeau not to take NDP support for granted.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said his party will oppose the throne speech, which he lambasted for failing to lay out a plan for reviving the economy, particularly the skyrocketing cost of living.
“Not only do they want parliamentarians to work together to put this pandemic behind us, they also want bold, concrete solutions to meet the other challenges we face,” the speech said.
“This is the moment for parliamentarians to work together to get big things done and shape a better future for our kids.”
There were no surprises in the speech, which reiterated the promises the Liberals made in their election platform and focused largely on economic recovery from the pandemic.
The pillars of that recovery will be more aggressive action to combat climate change, measures to produce more affordable housing and finishing negotiations with two holdout province and two territories that have yet to sign onto the Liberals’ $10-a-day national child care program.
Reconciliation was also a major theme of the speech, delivered partly in Inuktitut, as well as French and English, by Simon, the first Indigenous person to hold the viceregal post.
She opened the speech with her own reflections on the pain caused by the discovery last spring of what are believed to be hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of two former residential schools.
“We cannot hide from these discoveries; they open deep wounds,” Simon said, adding that “despite the profound pain, there is hope.”
Among other things, the speech promised to create a national monument to honour residential school survivors.
Simon also issued a personal call for action on climate change.
“Our Earth is in danger. From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our land and our people need help. We must move talk into action and adapt where we must,” she said.
Amid extreme flooding and landslides in British Columbia, the speech reiterated the Liberals’ promise to develop the first-ever national adaptation strategy to help Canadians adjust to the changing climate.
It argued that growing the economy goes hand in hand with protecting the environment and that now is the time to “go further, faster” on combating climate change.
It promised to “strengthen action to prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastline erosion and other extreme weather worsened by climate change.”
The speech — delivered to a much smaller than usual audience of masked dignitaries, senators and MPs in a bid to maintain physical distance — sketched only the broad outlines of the government’s agenda with few details.
It argued that ending the pandemic “for good” is the best way to revive the economy.
But with employment now back to pre-pandemic levels and almost 90 per cent of Canadians fully vaccinated, the speech reiterated the Liberals’ plan to replace emergency benefits that kept millions of Canadians and business afloat during the pandemic with more targeted aid for those hardest hit by the health crisis.
— Additional reporting by Erika Ibrahim
Whatever else Canadian government vows faster indigenous reconciliation
Tue, November 23, 2021,
Canada's governor general opened parliament Tuesday in a speech partly delivered in her native Inuktitut, highlighting the "deep wounds" reopened by the recent discovery of mass graves at schools for indigenous children.
Governor General Mary Simon, who was sworn in July to serve as the first indigenous representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada, said: "This is the moment to move faster on the path of reconciliation."
In the throne speech outlining Prime Minister Justice Trudeau's agenda, she said the discoveries in May of more than 1,300 unmarked graves at schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan "horrified" Canadians and underscored how a past policy of assimilation caused "deep wounds."
Those finds, she said, "show how much the actions of governments and institutions of old have been devastating for indigenous peoples, who continue to suffer from it today."
Trudeau has made reconciliation with more than 600 tribes a priority for his government, which returned to power following a general election in September.
Highlighting the plans of Trudeau's Liberals in her speech, Simon said the government plans to taper pandemic aid down to a Can$7.4 billion (US$5.8 billion) package targeting hardest-hit sectors through the spring.
The government will also prioritize affordable housing and subsidized day care, increased immigration, tougher gun laws, and deepening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
The statement follows a two-year row between Ottawa and Beijing over tit-for-tat arrests of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor.
All three were released and repatriated in September.
- 'Our planet is in danger' -
In her speech Simon also promised the federal government's support for Canadians on the Pacific coast who are recovering from catastrophic flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains that left at least four dead and one missing.
Ottawa has already deployed the army to help, and vital road and rail links between Vancouver and the rest of Canada have started to be reestablished this week.
The latest flooding to hit British Columbia, following record-high temperatures over the summer that killed more than 500 people, as well as wildfires that destroyed a town, is a stark reminder of "extreme weather worsened by climate change," Simon said.
"Our planet is in danger," she said. "From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our land and our people need help."
To pass their agenda, the Liberals must rely on at least one other party.
With the Tories and Bloc Quebecois saying they won't support the throne speech, the New Democrats could be left to prop up Trudeau's government. Otherwise, the country may face a fourth election in six years.
amc/mdappens, this Parliament looks set to be (mostly) about climate change
With one big crisis starting to abate, MPs must now turn
the focus back to the other one
As the 44th Parliament since Confederation gets down to business this week, parts of British Columbia are still under water. The province has only just started to recover from what could prove to be the most expensive disaster in Canadian history.
Torrential rains and flooding caused thousands to be evacuated. Major highways were blocked or washed out, farms were swamped and livestock lost, towns were left isolated, supply chains were snarled and motorists were asked to conserve gasoline. Four people are known to have died.
But it's just not the floods weighing on the opening days of this Parliament. Before the floods came this summer's heat dome and wildfires. The extreme heat killed nearly 600 people in B.C. between June 18 and August 12 — the deadliest weather event in Canadian history. On June 29, Lytton, B.C. registered the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada. The next day, a wildfire consumed the entire town.
And before that heat wave came floods in Ontario and Quebec in 2019, Eastern Canada's heat wave of 2018, record-breaking wildfires in B.C. in 2017 and 2018, and the wildfire that roared through Fort McMurray, Alberta in 2016.
The 43rd Parliament — which ran from December 2019 to this past August, when Justin Trudeau triggered a fall election — was consumed by the public health emergency that started a few months after it began. History will record the 43rd edition of the Parliament of Canada as the Pandemic Parliament.
The 44th Parliament could be about a lot of things, as most parliaments are. There are a great many things to do and debate. COVID-19 is still not done with us and the aftershocks will be felt for some time to come.
But this Parliament might be judged by how it met the other crisis unfolding before our eyes — by what it does to deal with the impacts of climate change that are already unavoidable, and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that would make things even worse in the future.
It seems like ancient history now, but there was a throne speech in December 2019, a few weeks before reports surfaced of a mysterious illness affecting people in China. Julie Payette was still governor general. It was a slightly simpler time.
Climate change was at the centre of the agenda Payette presented on the government's behalf that day.
"Canada's children and grandchildren will judge this generation by its action — or inaction — on the defining challenge of the time: climate change," she said.
After ending the 2019 election with a minority government, Trudeau seized on climate change as an issue that united voters across parties: 63 per cent of voters had cast ballots for parties that supported putting a price on carbon emissions.
The pandemic did not entirely upend that agenda. A year after the throne speech, the Liberals laid out a new climate plan. This past April, they increased the ambition of Canada's national emissions target and then, in the waning days of the last Parliament, the Senate passed the government's new climate change accountability legislation.
But the case for acting is only more obvious now — to everyone. According to recent polling by Abacus Data, 66 per cent of Canadians say they believe governments should put "more emphasis" on reducing emissions — that's up ten percentage points since the spring of 2016.
And while many people complained that this fall's election was unnecessary or pointless, the Liberals ran on a climate, conservation and adaptation platform that included more than a hundred bullet points promising either to continue pursuing previous actions or to implement new ones.
The new ministers of environment and natural resources — Steven Guilbeault and Jonathan Wilkinson — already have asked the government's net-zero advisory panel for advice on how to implement a gradually declining cap on emissions from the oil and gas industry.
Guilbeault will soon have to present an updated plan to Parliament on meeting Canada's 2030 target to meet the conditions of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (the deadline is December 29, though that could be extended by three months).
The official consultation on "just transition" legislation ended in September and a report is due this fall. A task force on flood insurance and relocation — established to advise the government on two campaign promises from 2019 — is expected to issue its final report in the spring. The promise of a new disaster assistance benefit for those who can't work because of floods or fires also remains unfulfilled.
The Liberals say work with the provinces and territories to update flood mapping will be completed in the next three years and Canada's first national climate change "adaptation strategy" will be finalized by the end of 2022. All federal subsidies for fossil fuels are to be phased out by 2023.
The Liberals also have promised to implement a Clean Electricity Standard, a zero-emission vehicle mandate, new methane regulations and new climate-related financial disclosure rules for federally regulated institutions.
Inevitably, there will be other things to worry about. The Conservatives seem eager to argue that inflation is the most worrisome storm bearing down on Canada; some voters might be inclined to agree. From provincial capitals, the premiers will continue agitating for a long-term commitment to more federal funding for health care. The Liberals themselves will want or need to move forward on child care, reconciliation and reform of the Canadian Forces.
There will be new controversies and gaffes. Opposition-dominated committees will agitate for new investigations.
Only in the most extreme circumstances can Parliament be expected or even allowed to put aside all other business and focus exclusively on confronting a single threat — as it did for several months through the pandemic spring and summer of 2020.
But Parliament need not put aside any sense of urgency until the next pandemic. The next great challenge of our time is already here. It has been building for decades and it will not get any easier with time. For all the action that has been taken in recent years against it, there is still much more to do.
The damage and disruption wrought by the floodwaters in British Columbia offer both a reminder of the threat and a purpose for this Parliament.
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