Thank you, and good morning, Pat [Premier Binns], Minister Ballem, ladies and gentlemen. It’s truly a pleasure for me to be in Charlottetown for this historic occasion. I bring greetings from the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, as well as the Honourable David Anderson, Minister of the Environment. Minister Anderson regrets that he could not be here today. As a co-signatory to this agreement for the Government of Canada, he is strongly committed to the success of this partnership on climate change. It is fitting that we would be here in P.E.I. to sign the first federal-provincial Memorandum of Understanding on climate change action. This is the province where Confederation was born, and this MOU reaffirms a long-held belief that working together is the only way to address significant challenges. This is also a province that is sensitive to the impacts of a changing climate. Melting ice sheets mean rising sea levels, and that will have an impact on our coastlines, as will any increase in severe weather events. This MOU we are signing today is a clear signal that P.E.I. will continue to be a key partner in our efforts to address climate change. I assure you, the Government of Canada is committed to working closely with you to address this challenge in a way that reflects the priorities of this province. The MOU identifies what some of those priority areas might be: New technologies, such as those connected with the hydrogen economy. We recently announced more than $200 million in funding dedicated to hydrogen. There could be opportunities to work together on research and development, and demonstration projects. Implementing energy-efficiency practices. Energy efficiency is fundamental, particularly in the short term, to getting our greenhouse gas emissions down. And that includes leading by example in government operations. We can work together, and we can learn from each other. Individual actions to reduce emissions. This is in line with the One Tonne Challenge outlined in the Climate Change Plan for Canada. We are asking Canadians to reduce their annual individual emissions by one tonne each, or about 20 percent. And, quite clearly, wind power and renewable energy will remain an important focus. P.E.I. is already in the forefront as the home of the country’s only facility for testing wind energy. P.E.I. has shown great leadership by investing in this promising source of clean energy and developing the North Cape Wind Farm. We have been pleased to support the test site with more than $230,000 annually, over the past four years. It was a year and a half ago that I was last here, to announce the $260-million Wind Power Production Initiative that aims to increase the amount of wind power available in Canada by 500 percent over 15 years. Wind power holds great promise, and not just in emissions-free electricity. Its potential to generate energy anywhere there is a reliable source of wind means it has significant potential as a decentralized energy source. As we increase our involvement in testing, developing, using and ultimately selling the technology, it will mean jobs and commercial growth. So I thank you for your strong commitment to acting on climate change. And I assure you that the Government of Canada is prepared to work with you and to do our part. We have committed close to $4 billion to climate change action in the past five years — $2 billion from the last federal budget alone. In announcing details of some of that Budget 2003 investment, we clearly signalled there will be many opportunities for provinces and territories to work with us. In fact, the $160-million Opportunities Envelope is specifically aimed at providing flexibility to the Government of Canada to cooperate on projects and programs brought forward by the provinces and territories. Over the coming months, we fully expect to take concrete action on the areas of interest that are outlined in the agreement. And I look forward to entering into agreements with other provinces and territories, so that we are all on board to act on climate change together. With the agreement we're signing today, the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island are acting on our commitment to the sustainable development of our natural resources. That includes maintaining their economic importance, and ensuring they continue supporting a strong society and communities. Through knowledge, innovation, technology and international leadership, we can ensure our quality of life and build the Canada we want, for ourselves and for future generations. Thank you.
