In the days leading up to the federal election on October 19, we will be publishing the answers to questions posed by 2day FM to the candidates running in the Grande Prairie-Mackenzie riding. The responses are listed in alphabetical order and are unedited. They have not been fact checked and 2day FM is not responsible for any errors or inaccuracies.
Q: What does your party believe is the best way to reduce Canada’s emissions?
James Friesen, Green Party
A: My party believes we must work toward alternative sources of energy. We have the longest coast line in the world we have amply opportunity to generate tidal power, Geo thermal, natural flow river power generation. And the lust goes on. Yet we continue to put our eggs in one basket.
Reagan Johnston, Liberal Party
A: As part of the official Liberal platform, a Liberal government will partner with the provinces and territories in order to come up with solutions to climate change while keeping in mind our international obligations and the economic growth of Canada. In keeping with these international obligations, a Liberal government will attend the Paris climate conference along withCanadian provinces and territories. A pan-Canadian framework to combating climate change will be established within 90 days. This framework will allow the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to establish national emissions-reduction targets while ensuring that federal funding is available. This will afford our provinces and territories the flexibility to design their own policies, including carbon pricing policies. This partnership with the provinces and territories will also allow us to create a new Low Carbon Economy Trust which will provide funding to projects that materially reduce emissions under the new pan-Canadian framework. Our mandate will endow the Low Carbon Economy Trust with $2 billion.
The platform of the Liberal Party emphasizes that both protection of our communities and growth in our economy are important as we consider the challenges of climate change. A Liberal government will make new investments in green infrastructure while fulfilling our G20 commitment and phase out subsidies provided to the fossil fuel industry over the medium term.
As stated in the official platform of the Liberal Party, a Liberal government will ensure environmental assessments are once again credible. Federal Ministers will no longer interfere with the environment assessment process. It will be ensured that environmental assessments include an “analysis of upstream impacts and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from projects under review”.
Saba Mossagizi, NDP
Ms. Mossagizi did not submit a response to this question by the deadline.
Dylan Thompson, Libertarian Party
A: The Libertarian Party of Canada believes a government’s proper role should be to protect private property by ensuring that polluters pay restitution to the individuals they harmed. We would encourage a system whereby harm and property damage as a result of emissions can be dealt with through the judicial system.
Chris Warkentin, Conservative Party
A: We live in a northern climate and we have a dispersed population. Peace Country residents must heat their homes, go to work, get their kids to school and ship products to and from our communities. Measures that penalize residents for doing these things, such as an introduction of a carbon-tax, will make life for many residents the Peace Country unaffordable, especially seniors and people living on fixed incomes in remote communities. I do not support raising taxes on Peace Country residents or small-businesses. I support efforts that enhance energy efficiency, both in our homes and in our transportation. Our government has committed to establish a home-renovation tax credit that will assist homeowners in making their homes more energy efficient. We have also introduced new standards to ensure that new automobiles meet higher energy efficiency standards. We have also implemented new standards for electricity generation to ensure that future electricity production is done with considerably fewer emissions.
New technologies enable us to do what we need to do with fewer environmental impacts. Our government is proud to have invested in many of these new discoveries and applications including many here in the Peace Country. One example is the partnership that our government has with GPRC and the CRI right here in Grande Prairie. Dr. Weixing Tan and his research team at Grande Prairie Regional College, continue to pursue several applied research projects that aim to not only reduce pollutants and carbon emissions but to turn pollutants into products. More info can be found at http://www.thecri.ca/pollutants-products-p2p
Our government is proud to partner with Canadians from coast to coast who are developing new and innovative ways to reduce emissions and reduce our environmental impacts in every area of our lives. We will continue to work with Canadian researchers, industry and the public to meet our international commitments.