When it comes to fossil fuel subsidies and GHG emissions, Liberals don’t know up from down

Speaker: Ms. May
Time: 04/02/2021 15:08:59
Context: Question

Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Mr. Speaker, yesterday in question period, the Prime Minister said he was “pleased to see the U.S. follow our lead on banning fossil fuel subsidies.” Liberals promised in 2015 to end fossil fuel subsidies and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary, though, between 2014 and 2018, both went up. Greenhouse gas emissions were up and fossil fuel subsidies were up, even before adding the $17 billion for Trans Mountain.

My question to my Liberal friends is: how is the vertigo that they are now experiencing from no longer being able to discern up from down?

Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, in November our government introduced a climate plan that demonstrates how Canada will exceed its Paris agreement targets and will create jobs and economic prosperity for the future. As part of this our government is committed to phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, and we are on track to do so. We were pleased to see the Americans follow our lead in committing to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Canada has already eliminated eight tax measures in that sector, and we are working with Argentina on a peer review of fossil fuel subsidies. Our government will continue working with Canadians to cut pollution and to grow our economy.