She gives me the chance to say I was very relieved that Sustainable Development Technology Canada, which is a fund that helps commercialize clean tech investments and developments in companies across Canada, has received enough funding that at least it will not die after this budget.

However, I was surprised—and perhaps the hon. member could comment on this—that the only sections on the climate change issue and the climate crisis in this budget refer to programs that the Conservatives have already killed in previous budgets, taking credit for the very successful eco-energy retrofit program.

I wonder if the member believes that program should have been continued so that homeowners could get some relief on high energy bills.

Judy Foote: Mr. Speaker, obviously I agree that the program should have continued.

It is the type of program that Canadians have looked to and respected, and they understand how important it is, particularly when we talk about the environment and how important it is to ensure that we do sustain our environment and that we take the measures that are right, and not find ourselves in a situation where there is nothing happening.

If it were up to the government, there would be no discussion of the environment. The facts and figures that are put forward are so convoluted that we cannot even see the forest for the trees.

We are finding ourselves in the situation, as members of an opposition, of trying to get a handle on what the government is doing with respect to the environment, and it is very hard to do because the government is not at all forthcoming when it comes to sustaining our environment.

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This budget shows a sensitivity on issues where the Harper Conservatives have been repeatedly hammered. There is money for the burial of our veterans and $8 million for the restoration of Massey Hall. Public outcry over the savaging of fisheries habitat leads to a small sop this time around — $10 million over two years to work with local conservation groups to improve fish habitat.

I was keeping a little mental checklist of all the suggestions in my submission to Flaherty where some action at least was taken: new funding for the Sustainable Development Technology Fund (although at $325 million over eight years, less than what had been recommended by the Pembina Institute); a commitment to go after offshore tax-havens; less money wasted in Government of Canada travel and greater use of telecommunications and video-conferencing; and (some) money for First Nations education.

I was pleased to see the funds for municipal infrastructure; while it’s less than what the crisis demands, it is certainly a step in the right direction. And finally, a sign that the Harper Conservatives have given up efforts to prop up the domestic asbestos industry: $50 million over seven years for retraining workers in that shameful industry.

There is language about mental health and homelessness, as well as small amounts of money for each. Unlike last year’s budget, the word “climate” is actually used without being restricted to the “investment climate.” The Copenhagen target is referenced, albeit with the predictable falsehood that we are “halfway to meeting (it).” (p.242) The same page even boasts of the accomplishments of the ecoEnergy retrofit program — a program they killed last year.

The problem with the budget documents is that they are increasingly “fudge-it” documents. We no longer receive the appendices with the total budget numbers for departments. So is the total envelope going up or down? Who knows?

For instance, VIA Rail is mentioned and gets money — $54 million this year and $58 million spread out over the next five years. But there is no context to tell us if the 50 per cent cut in VIA support in the Main Estimates would be redressed in the Supplementary Estimates, or whether the cuts are devastating and these amounts are band-aids on a fatal wound.

There is an announcement of $248 million over five years for Environment Canada for much-needed investment in our Meteorological Service. But without seeing any overall estimate for Environment Canada, it isn’t possible to know if this is robbing Peter to pay Paul — money taken out of some other part of the department.

The overall direction of this government is unchanged. Aquaculture is getting more funding, without any response to the Cohen Report on the fate of wild salmon ($57.5 million over five years). Accelerated Capital Cost allowances for mining remain, but are reduced to the same level as oil and gas, while the access 15 per cent Mineral Exploration Tax credit for flow-through shares for mining exploration, an incentive to widespread ecological damage, is extended another year.

What we will not know until we see the implementing legislation is how many egregious measures will be rammed through the House in a 2013 omnibus bill that claims to derive its legitimacy from this budget. The reality is the 2012 budget made no mention of the Fisheries Act — but C-38, claiming to implement the budget, destroyed fish habitat.

Originally published on iPolitics.ca.

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The clean-tech sector is one identified globally as having enormous potential.  By 2020, it is estimated that the sector will be worth $3 trillion to the world economy.

Certainly, investments in the U.S. have been outpacing Canada. U.S. President Barack Obama’s new tone of resolve in addressing the climate crisis suggests that their previous level of support will be ramping up.  President Obama highlighted the potential of clean-tech to stimulate the economy and create jobs in his inauguration address:

We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries; we must claim its promise.

At the moment, Canada has only one percent of the sector’s current $1 trillion global value.  Still, that relatively small piece of the pie is responsible for 52,600 Canadian jobs in 700 clean-tech companies.  The sector was worth over $10 billion last year, and that was a jump of 18% over the previous year.

In Parliament, I work with a new all-party clean-tech caucus, chaired by Conservative MP Jay Aspin.  We have engaged MPs across party lines in the exciting potential for innovation in clean-tech.  The sector is making gains in improving the energy efficiency of the mining sector, reducing waste water in the oil sands, cutting deeply into the price differential between renewable and coal to the point that some new wind and solar out-performs coal in terms of price.

A recent report by the Pembina Institute, (Competing in Clean energy: How Canada can capitalize on the global transition to clean energy, January 22, 2013), based on a forensic review of the sector and extensive interviews, concluded that Canada could expand our clean-tech sector to $60 billion by 2020. That realistic assessment needs to be underscored.  We have the potential for six-fold growth over the next seven years.

Vancouver Island Technology Park has been an incubator for new clean-tech firms.  There are companies working in bio-fuels, wind energy and tidal power.  As well, outside of the Vancouver Island Technology Park, the Saanich Peninsula has a number of firms working in the clean-tech sector. Everything from Triton Logging, accessing sustainable hardwood from tropical hydro-electric sites, to Aeolis Wind, and a number of environmental consulting companies, including over 300 people working at Stantec. Our area benefits from jobs in clean-tech.

To reach its full potential, we need provincial and federal policies to align.  It is excellent to know we can produce power from tidal action, but it would certainly help the start-up companies if they could access a “feed-in” tariff and sell into the grid.  The federal government needs to continue its support of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).  Founded in 2001, SDTC has successfully completed 19 rounds of funding approvals.  Over $500 million has been allocated to 228 projects.   That level of investment has resulted in a highly successful track record in leveraging funds from other project partners.  The ratio is 2.4:1, with $1.4 billion leveraged from $560 million.

Amazingly, of a 14 person national board two of the board members are prominent local residents. The Chair of the Board is Juergen Puetter of Aeolis Wind. And former Saanich-Gulf Islands Member of Parliament, Gary Lunn, was recently appointed to the SDTC board. I sincerely hope they will succeed in gaining replenishment of funding for clean-tech in this spring’s budget.  It has tremendous potential for the planet, for Canada and for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

Elizabeth May is the Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands.
Originally printed in the Victoria News.

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