Madam Isabelle Hudon, President of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to be here with you today. It is the first time I have had the opportunity to speak to this prestigious group as Canada's Minister of Industry.
When I take the podium, it is usually to speak about our government's efforts to improve the economy.
Montréal's businesses are shining examples of Canada's new economy and are torchbearers of Quebecois expertise around the globe.
Montréal is positioned as an international leader in such strategic fields as aerospace, telecommunications, multimedia and biopharmaceuticals.
A prosperous Montréal and Quebec is a key priority of our government. The agreement reached 10 days ago between our government and the Government of Quebec on the completion of highway 30 is but one illustration of this.
And to paraphrase what Prime Minister Harper said, this time, it's for real.
Today, I am going to depart from my usual subjects. I am going to address a topic that is parallel to our economic work, and that is directly related to our long-term prosperity and quality of life.
I am going to speak about the environment.
As Minister of Industry, I sit down each week with representatives of different industrial sectors, alongside my Cabinet colleagues who actively involved in this portfolio:
Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment;
Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources; and
Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
We are sending the same message to everyone: The days of voluntary targets are over, and you will need to meet short-, medium-, and long-term greenhouse gas reduction objectives, or face financial penalties.
I am doing what should have been done 10 years ago -- something that would have enabled Canada to make informed and rigorous commitments to the international community at Kyoto.
I am a father and want my daughters to grow up in a cleaner environment. I am a minister in the Canadian government and I want my country to do better.
Our government is putting to an end all the empty rhetoric about the environment. Meaningless banter only perpetuates fantasies and does nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Canada's new government is taking a different approach. We are committing Canada to concrete action in the fight against greenhouse gas emissions.
It is the Conservative government under Brian Mulroney that is recognized as the greenest government in Canadian history. We are following in that tradition.
Our government has been the victim of disinformation on the whole issue of the environment. This disinformation has been fuelled in part by the Liberal leadership race. It has eclipsed all reasonable discussion of the complex issues at stake.
At this time, my colleague is presiding over the 12th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
While they are discussing next steps with regard to Kyoto, I would like to take a few moments here to set the record straight on certain issues.
I want to dispel three myths that have been taken as truth in the past few months.
Myth number one: Canada has withdrawn from the Kyoto Protocol.
False.
Canada has signed the Protocol. We are counted among the minority of countries that do pay their yearly contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat.
We have taken our rightful place in presiding over the table of signatory countries, which, incidentally, are responsible for only 30 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Canada also works to raise awareness among non-signatory countries, which are responsible for 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Canada actively participates in international cooperation efforts against climate change.
However, the day after our election, we told Canadians and our international partners that the Kyoto commitments made by the former government were unattainable.
We are sending the same message to everyone. We tell the truth.
Which brings me to myth number two, that Canada's Kyoto objectives are attainable.
I repeat: It's impossible.
At Kyoto, in December 1997, the former government committed to reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. However, these emissions today are 27 percent higher than 1990 levels.
This commitment was not based on any scientific assessment or any real consultation with industry. The government at that time, if you don't mind my saying so, was simply flying by the seat of its pants.
Moreover, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development at the Office of the Auditor General, Johanne Gélinas, published a report showing the Liberal government's total lack of preparation and thoroughness with respect to Kyoto objectives.
The majority of signatory countries had done their homework, but not Canada. Several countries announced at Kyoto in December 1997 that their GHG emissions would go up. They undertook to curb the increase of emissions. Australia, for example, committed to an 8-percent increase. Iceland committed to 10 percent.
It was entirely predictable that Canadian GHG emissions would go up, if only because of oil. We have some of the most plentiful petroleum resources on the planet, and the rest of the world depends on them.
We live in a world that is thirsty for oil. We can't just turn off the tap.
The people who are scolding us today about Kyoto are the same ones who gambled away Canada's reputation. They rolled the dice -- and they lost.
And there's more.
In December 2005, the 11th United Nations Climate Change Conference was held here in Montréal. The election was in full swing.
The then-government, and its minister of the Environment, who today is a Liberal leadership candidate, literally duped the international community.
They had in their possession a still-hot Environment Canada report that clearly stated that Canada's Kyoto targets were unattainable.
Continuing to insist that Canada could meet its objectives was nothing more than a con game. That government compromised Canada's long-term reputation for short-term electoral gain.
And that's the long and short of it. While they were carrying on in that farce, others were making progress in the implementation of concrete measures.
While on the subject, I must congratulate the Government of Quebec on its climate change strategy. It is an inspiration for other provinces.
Way to go, Quebec!
We have come to the third myth that I will debunk today, that is, that we are doing nothing to combat climate change.
Again, this is not the case.
To Canada's new government, it is a given that climate change is one of the main challenges facing humanity.
And we are acting responsibly so that Canada can truly face that challenge.
With our first budget, we earmarked $1.3 billion for mass transit.
We introduced tax incentives to encourage Canadians to use public transportation and leave their vehicles at home.
We have set up a system for having an average of 5 percent renewable content in all fuels by 2010.
In October, we tabled the Clean Air Act, which sets out our approach for the coming years.
This act casts a wider net than does the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol only goes after GHGs, which we are doing as well, but we are including in the list of controlled substances several other atmospheric pollutants that are detrimental to people's health.
This approach has moreover earned us the praise of the Canadian Medical Association.
As an outgrowth of this legislation, we will be regulating all industry sectors responsible for polluting emissions, in particular:
Oil
Automotive
Pulp and paper
Chemical
For the first time in this country's history, each industry will be subject to mandatory short-, medium- and long-term targets.
If these targets are not met, penalties will be imposed, and the product of these penalties will be transferred into an environmental fund.
Our consultations are going forward. We will make known the specific targets for each industry sector before the beginning of next year.
For example, it has already been established that the automotive industry must reduce its polluting emissions by 5.3 megatonnes by 2010. This target, which up to now has been voluntary, will become mandatory. This achievement will mean the equivalent of a million fewer cars on our roads.
As for the motorcycle industry, I am proud to announce that as of December 1 of this year, in less than 15 days, all new on-road motorcycles sold in Canada will have to meet strict new standards that limit their polluting emissions.
Indeed, our government is going to change Canadian laws, requiring manufacturers of this type of vehicle to reduce smog-forming pollutants, notably a 59-percent reduction in nitrogen oxides and a 45-percent reduction in hydrocarbons by 2020.
This has never before been done. And it's only a start.
No Canadian government has ever gone so far before.
Our government is the one that has made the change from empty promises to concrete actions.
In the long term, Canadian GHG emissions will be reduced to between 45 and 65 percent of their 2003 levels.
We must all work together in the fight against climate change.
To improve our chances in this effort, we are launching a new tool: the Urban Transportation Emissions Calculator.
This web-based application has been available for a few days now on the Transport Canada website (http://www.tc.gc.ca/UTEC). It provides municipalities a way to precisely calculate polluting emissions in order to reduce them.
It's also an awareness tool for businesses, schools and citizens, on the environmental impacts of our transportation choices.
Since we were elected, we have made it our business to tell the truth to Canadians.
We are telling it like it is. For us, honesty and transparency are the fundamentals of good government.
We are acting in the same way in the fight against greenhouse gases.
Rather than perpetuating myths, we are taking concrete action.
Under our leadership, Canada will do better. We will improve the health of Canadians and reduce our polluting emissions.
Thank you.
Merci.
