Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the member heard, but one of our Conservative colleagues just said that we had gone too far. That is an interesting contrast to his statement. For the first time, we are introducing a right to a healthy environment. We are going to take our time. We are going to take the next 24 months to define that right and to define how it will be implemented.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, if I reference the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands often, it is an indication of the deep respect that I have for her and the long time that I have known her as one of the foremost environmental activists in our country. We are going to be consulting broadly on part 6, because we want to implement regulations that will have teeth and that will address some of the concerns about genetically modified organisms.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, CEPA and the Fisheries Act help protect our water, but the federal government needs to show more leadership on water, and I want to thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, who repeatedly called for an independent departmental agency that would report directly to the minister, which we now call the Canada water agency.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his hard work and participation on Bill S-5 at the committee stage. We spent over 50 hours between the Senate and the ENVI committee studying this bill, so we did a thorough job. I compliment the hon. member on his contributions, which were frequent and very positive.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill S-5, strengthening environmental protection for a healthier Canada act. Due to the vital work of parliamentarians, Bill S-5 has progressed steadily and it is now a stronger bill because of the parliamentary process and remarkable collaboration among partners, stakeholders and the public.

Northern Affairs  Madam Speaker, I have given some examples of the types of projects that the federal government is funding in the north. I can also tell members about the national adaptation strategy, which will provide an additional $50 million in funding over four years starting in 2023-24. The funding will enhance support for indigenous adaptation projects and priorities through existing climate adaptation programs.

Northern Affairs  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Nunavut for bringing up this important issue, and I would like to acknowledge that I am speaking to members from the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. Northerners are very aware of the impacts of climate change, including the Inuit, with their deep connection to the land.

Northern Affairs  Madam Speaker, so far, the northern REACHE program has invested more than $53 million to support 176 clean energy projects across the north. Examples of the projects funded by REACHE include solar panels and biomass installations in community buildings, as well as feasibility studies and project planning.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Madam Speaker, as I mentioned before, CEPA allows us to manage greenhouse gases by putting a price on pollution. The hon. member talked about climate disasters, such as what happened in Lytton, and our hearts go out to the people there. There were 600 people who died under the heat dome.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Madam Speaker, some people think the deputy House leader and I look alike, but I beg to differ; he is much better-looking. I want to thank the hon. member for raising the issue of a right to a healthy environment. We had 50 hours of deliberations in committee. I sat through most of them.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Laurentides—Labelle for her commitment to her community and to the environment. I also want to give a shout-out to the member for Repentigny. I enjoyed working with her very much. It was a very collaborative committee, and I think Parliament needs to see more of that.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Madam Speaker, I will start with agreeing with the hon. member that the energy sector is extremely important in our country. We need the energy. What we do not want is pollution, particularly carbon dioxide pollution. CEPA is used to manage greenhouse gases and has been absolutely critical in putting a price on pollution, which the hon. member campaigned for in the last election.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for going down memory land with CEPA 1999. He was there. I think the hon. member eloquently described why Bill S-5 already covers the situation of tailings ponds and fracking. Like him, I am agnostic. I wonder if he would comment further on some of the measures the minister has introduced to deal with the current situation, with ongoing monitoring, restoring trust, and involving the first nations affected in decision-making and, particularly, long-term solutions.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the hon. member on the environment committee, for all her work on this bill, her very important work. I have a question for the hon. member on the issue of air quality standards that our NDP colleague had raised. I know the Bloc is very sensitive to jurisdictional issues.

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's statement and question. The sentiment she expressed at the committee meeting was one of disgust and disappointment. I did look Chief Adam in the eye. Everyone around that table was very incredulous at how something like this could happen and how notification was not given.