Climate Change (December 1)
Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reality of this government’s climate change initiatives is quite different from what the minister has painted: an emission reduction strategy that won’t see reduction until 2020 at the earliest, a $15 carbon tax when experts insist that a tax has to be $75 to $150 to make a difference, and we have no plan to increase even that $15.
We ask only the largest emitters, not all emitters, to reduce intensity, not emissions. Mandatory targets for large emitters are twice as weak as the federal ones. To the minister of the environment: how does any of this show us as a world leader?
The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Environment and Water.
Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I’ll say to the hon. member and to all in the House that Alberta is a leader with regard to this. We were the first to do this. What we have continued to say and what we’ve said in the House before and this week is that Alberta is committed to taking more action on this file, but Alberta is also making sure that when we do, as with Canada, all the large global emitters are part of that solution. Ms Blakeman: Well, Mr. Speaker, how can the minister claim that this government supports federal climate change goals when Canada will never reach its emission reduction targets with Alberta’s plan in the mix?
The Speaker: The hon. minister.
Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What Canada and Alberta have both said with regard to that is that we are committed to having a common-sense plan that will reduce our emissions and meet those emissions, but it’s got to be a common-sense plan that has real direction and has all large global emitters at the table. Canada is 2 per cent of global emissions. The oil sands are one tenth of 1 per cent. Between the United States and China that
makes up 40 per cent of the GHGs. We have to have a global plan.
Ms Blakeman: Well, that’s not leadership.
Back to the same minister: given that a decade of government resistance and inaction on health impacts has resulted in just barely signing a letter of intent, how will the minister respond when asked about health impacts from development in communities such as Fort Chip?
Mrs. McQueen: I’m very happy to answer that question, Mr. Speaker. With regard to some discussions that I’ve brought forward in this House and discussions that I’ve had with the federal Environment minister, Minister Kent, we are working on a first-class monitoring system. We’ll be meeting and having some time together with regard to that, and when we’re in South Africa, we’ll have some time. I would like to say to the hon. member and to this House and to all Albertans: “Stay tuned. That will be coming very shortly.”
Alberta Hansard, December 1, 2011