Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam All Candidates Questionnaire Results

We reached out to every candidate in Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam with questions about their views and their parties' policies on climate action. We have provided their responses below along with a grade from us on each question.

We reached out to the Katerina Anastasiadis (CPC) and Kimberly Brundell (PPC), but they have not responded to our requests or did not return answers.

Report Card

Candidate	Laura Dupont (NDP)	Ron McKinnon (LPC)
Emissions Reduction Target 2030	50%	40-45%
Accountability	see answer	see answer
First Most Important Technology	Wind	National Power Grid*
Second Most Important Technology	Solar	Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credits*
Technology	see answer	see answer
Will sign Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty	Yes	Did Not Answer Clearly
Date to End Financial Support for Pipeline	Immediately	2023
Will Actively Oppose Trans-Mountain Pipeline	Yes	No
Just Transition	see answer	see answer
Helping Canadians Reduce Emissions	see answer	see answer
Additional Comments	see answer	see answer

Detailed Answers

 

1 Emissions

The recent IPCC Code Red for Humanity report states that to prevent temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, global emissions must be reduced to net-zero by 2050, and to meet that target global emissions must be drastically reduced (approximately 50%) by 2030. However, many countries that are poorer than Canada may lack the resources to make such a reduction by 2030, making it more important that richer countries fully achieve their goals.

What should Canada's 2030 emissions target commitment be, compared with its revised Paris Agreement target of a 40-45%[1] reduction, and the IPCC’s recommended 50% reduction?

Candidate	Target	Statement
Laura Dupont (NDP)	50%	There is nothing more critical than reducing emissions now. Because as the IPCC stressed, the next ten years is critical to our planet’s future. Which is why so many people – particularly younger Canadians – are frustrated by Justin Trudeau, who promises action but then doesn’t deliver. Even worse, he’s moving the opposite way as emissions increased 3.3 percent from 2016-19. Jagmeet Singh has an ambitious plan to reduce emissions by at least 50% from 2005 levels by 2030. And we’ve set a target of powering our communities through net carbon-free electricity by 2030.
Ron McKinnon(LPC)	40-45%	Our Liberal government put in place Canada’s first-ever climate plan, a plan that has grown more ambitious every year. Together, we’ve assembled the building blocks for a safe, healthy, and prosperous net-zero emissions future. Today, Canada’s emissions are projected to be 36% lower in 2030 compared to 2005 levels. But we know there is more to do.  We have invested over $100 billion to fight climate change and build a clean economy for all Canadians, including $53.6 billion for a green recovery. But for these investments to deliver, Canadians need a government with a real plan to meet our climate goals.  A re-elected Liberal government will:  Deliver on all policy and fiscal measures outlined in our Strengthened Climate Plan from December 2020; Implement the recently passed Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act, and advance new measures to achieve an ambitious 40-45% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels; and We will also work with all Canadians and the Net Zero Advisory Body to identify ways to further accelerate climate action that will put us on trajectory to achieve net zero emissions as soon as possible and no later than 2050. Pollution always has a cost and that’s why we made sure it is no longer free to pollute, anywhere in Canada. Together, we proved to the world that what people really want is good climate policy, not political obstruction. And we know that a strong price on pollution can have a strong impact on reducing our emissions.  A re-elected Liberal government will:  Continue to put a rising price on pollution, while putting more money back into the pockets of Canadians. Keep protecting Canadian jobs and competitiveness through smart carbon pricing design. Move forward, in collaboration with key trading partners, like the United States and European Union, on applying Border Carbon Adjustments to imports from countries that aren’t doing their part to reduce carbon pollution and fight climate change. This includes considering applying Border Carbon Adjustments on imports of steel, cement, aluminum, and other emissions-intensive industries, similar to the European Union’s approach.

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2 Accountability

In 2015, the Government of Canada committed to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030[2]. By 2019, not only had emissions seen no reduction, they had actually increased by approximately 1%[3].

What kind of accountability measures would you suggest to ensure we achieve our targets?

Laura Dupont (NDP): Excellent question, especially considering the promises we heard from Justin Trudeau on reducing emissions and the reality we’ve seen. During his time as Prime Minister, Trudeau has made Canada the only G7 country to have increased its emissions. And we’ve become the third biggest air polluter in the OECD. 

To improve accountability, Jagmeet Singh has committed to the creation and funding of a Climate Accountability Office to provide independent oversight of federal climate progress, to engage the public, and to make recommendations on how to achieve our goals.

Ron McKinnon (LPC): A re-elected Liberal government will deliver on all policy and fiscal measures outlined in our Strengthened Climate Plan from December 2020, implement the recently passed Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act (that is now law binding on this government and future governments), and advance new measures to achieve an ambitious 40-45% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

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3 Technology

To achieve net-zero by 2050, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Energy Regulator suggest that Canada will have to emit little to no carbon dioxide with carbon dioxide removal technologies offsetting any remaining emissions. The clean energy revolution will require a mix of technologies.

Of the following options, which 2 (in order) are the most important to the future of Canada's economy: oil, natural gas, wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture, and direct air capture?

Candidate	Top Choice	Second Choice	Statement
Laura Dupont (NDP)	Wind	Solar	First, let me say that under our Ready For Better plan, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP have committed to powering our communities carbon-free, with a target of net carbon-free electricity by 2030, and move to 100% non-emitting electricity by 2040.  And while you said two, I’m going to push the envelope a bit and say: wind, solar and geothermal!
Ron McKinnon (LPC)	National Power Grid*	Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credits*	Canadians expect action on Climate Change, and we’re doing the work. We enhanced our emissions reduction targets to 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030, are conserving over 1 million square kilometers of land and inland waters to reach our target of 25% protected area by 2025, and are investing over $100 billion in a cleaner, healthier economy. Canada has one of the cleanest power grids in the world. But a key challenge is that we do not have a national power grid. And our regional grids do not all connect. This limits the reach of our clean power sources. Just as past Canadian governments invested in the national railway and highways, we can partner with provinces and territories to develop a truly national power grid that will secure affordable and net-zero power for all Canadians and create good jobs. A re-elected Liberal government will: Introduce a Clean Electricity Standard that will set Canada on a path to cut more emissions by 2030 and to achieve a 100% net-zero emitting electricity system by 2035. Develop additional investment tax credits for a range of renewable energy and battery storage solutions, to accelerate the deployment of clean energy. Create a Pan-Canadian Grid Council to promote infrastructure investments, smart grids, grid integration, and electricity sector innovation with the goal of making Canada the most reliable, cost-effective, and carbon-free electricity producer in the world. This will build on work we have already done to make clean power more readily available, including working with Atlantic Canada and Quebec on the Atlantic Loop, to improve how electricity is generated and moved within and between those provinces.  Making Sure Canada is a World-Leader in Clean Technology : Creative solutions and innovative technologies are key to helping the world tackle climate change, plastic waste biodiversity loss, and other environmental challenges we face. A re-elected Liberal government will: Develop an investment tax credit of up to 30% for a range of clean technologies including low carbon and net-zero technologies with input from external experts on what technologies should be covered. Build on existing advisory services for emerging clean technology firms to guide them, from formation to export, on the opportunities and challenges before them.  Provide support and incentives for domestic procurement of Canadian clean technology. By partnering with other levels of government and existing large companies, we can help emerging Canadian clean technology firms secure customers here in Canada. Triple funding for cleantech on farms, including for renewable energy, precision agriculture, and energy efficiency. Partner with post-secondary institutions and Indigenous organizations to accelerate the creation and growth of Indigenous clean technology businesses Growing the Market for Made-in-Canada: Low Carbon Products Canada is home to some of the cleanest products in the world thanks to our low-carbon electricity grid, abundant natural resources, and ability to draw on cutting-edge research and technology. Since 2017, our Greening Government Strategy has been prioritizing low-carbon building materials in federal infrastructure projects, greening the federal government’s vehicle fleet, and creating data-sharing tools for low-carbon products. To expand this work beyond the federal government, a re-elected Liberal government will introduce a new Buy Clean Strategy to support and prioritize the use of made-in-Canada low-carbon products in public and private infrastructure projects.  Natural Climate Solutions: Resilient and protected nature is essential for fighting climate change. Nature offers a two-fold benefit, capturing and storing carbon from the atmosphere and protecting communities from climate change’s impact by acting as a buffer to flooding and extreme heat. To continue protecting more nature and fighting climate change, a re-elected Liberal government will:  Continue planting 2 billion trees across the country, creating roughly 4,300 jobs; Restore and enhance more wetlands, grasslands, and peatlands, to capture and store carbon; Increase support to farmers to develop and adopt agricultural management practices to reduce emissions, store carbon in healthy soil, and enhance resiliency. Cover cropping, rotational grazing and nitrogen management are all part of a green farming plan for Canada. This plan will not only protect nature and help fight climate change, but also create jobs, help farmers, and help preserve biodiversity across the country. For British Columbia, an essential future resource should be tidal power, where we can lead the way in the production of clean, renewable and sustainable energy, and also provide an economic resource and support for many remote communities.

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4 Oil and Gas

According to the Government of Canada’s official greenhouse gas inventory, the largest source of emissions in the Canadian economy is the fossil energy sector. It has been our fastest growing source of emissions since 2005.

Will you sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty which calls for halting further expansion, phasing out fossil fuel production, and providing a just transition for impacted workers?

Candidate	Will You Sign?	Statement
Laura Dupont (NDP)	Yes	Yes.
Ron McKinnon (LPC)	Did Not Answer Clearly	A re-elected government will cap and cut emissions from Oil and Gas. Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue, it's a competitiveness issue for the oil and gas sector. The climate science is clear and global investors are clear, the oil and gas sector must accelerate its efforts to get on a path to net-zero emissions. That is why a re-elected Liberal Government will put in place a decisive plan to ensure the oil and gas sector reaches net-zero emissions by 2050. A re-elected Liberal government will:  Make sure the oil and gas sector reduces emissions at a pace and scale needed to achieve net-zero by 2050, with 5-year targets to stay on track to achieving this shared goal. Drive down pollution starts with ensuring that pollution from the oil and gas sector doesn’t go up from current levels. Set 2025 and 2030 milestones based on the advice of the Net-Zero Advisory Body to ensure reduction levels are ambitious and achievable and that the oil and gas sector makes a meaningful contribution to meeting the nation’s 2030 climate goals. Fortunately, Canada’s largest oil and gas companies are already committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. These actions will incentivize clean innovation and the adoption of clean technologies, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Cutting Methane Emissions: Methane causes 80 times the amount of warming of carbon dioxide emissions in the first 20 years after being released into the atmosphere. Slashing methane emissions is one of the fastest ways to slow the rate of climate change in our lifetimes. We put in place regulations to make sure oil and gas companies reduce their methane emissions by 40 to 45 % by 2025, relative to 2012 emissions. But we know more needs to be done. A re-elected Liberal government will:  Require oil and gas companies to reduce methane emissions by at least 75% below 2012 levels by 2030 and work to reduce methane emissions across the broader economy. Seek similar commitments from other major economies at the upcoming G20 and COP26. Make the National Research Council a global centre for excellence on methane detection and elimination, to address the global issues of underreporting of methane emissions. Eliminating Thermal Coal Exports: Science has proven that phasing out coal from the electricity sector is the single most important climate action any country can take. It also means cleaner, healthier air for everyone.A re-elected Liberal government will:  Ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada no later than 2030. Eliminating Subsidies and Public Financing for Fossil Fuel Accelerate our G20 commitment to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies from 2025 to 2023. Develop a plan to phase-out public financing of the fossil fuel sector, including from Crown corporations, consistent with our commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

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5 Investment and Subsidization of Fossil Fuels

Currently, the fossil energy sector receives financial and regulatory support from the federal government in the form of investments, subsidies, tax breaks, and exemptions. These appear to run counter to the goal of transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels and getting to net zero emissions.

By what date will you commit to ending the financial and regulatory support provided to the fossil energy sector by the federal government?

Candidate	Date	Statement
Laura Dupont (NDP)	Immediately	Immediately – because under Justin Trudeau we’ve been moving backwards for too long. He’s increased emissions and he’s increased subsidies to Big Oil – to levels even higher than the Conservatives had. We can’t afford another four years of Mr. Trudeau moving in the wrong direction. Jagmeet Singh will cut subsidies to Big Oil, then take the dollars the Liberals give to big corporations and shift them towards the renewable energy sector. And we’ll target $500 million to support Indigenous-led stewardship programs to advance reconciliation and protect our environment.
Ron McKinnon (LPC)	2023	A re-elected Liberal government will accelerate our G20 commitment to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies from 2025 to 2023; Develop a plan to phase-out public financing of the fossil fuel sector, including from Crown corporations, consistent with our commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

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6 Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

The Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion twins an existing pipeline from the oil sands to Vancouver, nearly tripling the current pipeline capacity, to facilitate the exports of oil, which the IPCC emphasizes Canada must produce and sell less of.

Will you commit to actively opposing the continued construction and operation of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion?

The fossil energy sector is estimated to contribute $100 billion dollars to Canada’s GDP and support half a million direct and indirect jobs in Canada[4]. Many Canadians stand to lose their livelihood and many Canadian communities stand to lose their ability to thrive if the fossil energy sector is to stop creating wealth. This presents a major consideration to Canada making its way to net zero carbon emissions.

How should impacted workers be supported in the transition to clean energy?

Laura Dupont (NDP): One of the key tasks for all of us who are committed to a better, cleaner future is reinforcing the incredible potential for new kinds of jobs. But let’s be equally clear – capitalizing on this potential requires bold public investments that are directed to clean energy, climate resilience, social infrastructure, and energy efficiency in communities across the country. The shift we’re all envisioning means retrofitting buildings, overhauling transit, and transportation to make them fully carbon-free, helping traditional sectors shift to clean energy, and so much more. We believe that we can create a million new jobs, so that working people are not left behind as the world moves to a zero-carbon economy.

Ron McKinnon (LPC): Canadian green jobs are booming in sectors new and old, in regions across the country. Auto workers are manufacturing electric vehicles. Construction workers and tradespeople are building homes with new energy efficient materials and methods. Mill and smelter workers are making some of the cleanest aluminum and steel in the world. Aerospace workers are building the next generation electric planes and helicopters. Small business entrepreneurs are dreaming up the nextbig idea to ensure we have a better, net-zero future. But in 2021, job growth means green growth. Anyone with a credible plan for the economy must have a credible plan to seize the opportunities of the green economy.Accelerating Our Net-zero Industrial Transformation: Through the Net Zero Accelerator, Liberals have a plan to invest $8 billion to accelerate green jobs and Canada’s industrial transformation, with an extra $1.75 billion of targeted support for the aerospace sector to accelerate the transition. These funds have already unlocked private investments that will reduce our GHG emissions by up to 6 million tonnes per year. This is equivalent to taking more than 1.9 million passenger vehicles off the road. A re-elected Liberal government will: 

• Advance green industrial strategies and continue investing funds from the Net Zero Accelerator in strategic opportunities and make sure that Canada claims more than our fair share of growing clean growth opportunities.

Ensuring Workers and Communities Prosper as We Move to Net-Zero by: 

• Establish a $2 billion Futures Fund for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador that will be designed in collaboration with local workers, unions, educational institutions, environmental groups, investors, and Indigenous Peoples who know their communities best. We will support local and regional economic diversification and specific place-based strategies.

• Move forward with Just Transition legislation, guided by the feedback we receive from workers, unions, Indigenous Peoples, communities, and provinces and territories.

• Create more opportunities for women, LGBTQ2 and other underrepresented people in the energy sector. Because when we include everyone, we get the best.

• Launch a Clean Jobs Training Centre to help industrial, skill and trade workers across sectors to upgrade or gain new skills to be on the leading edge of zero carbon industry.

The top sources of emissions in Metro Vancouver include emissions from vehicles, and home heating. Across the country, residents of Canada could help reduce the country’s total carbon footprint by making personal choices that reduce their emissions.

Ron McKinnon (LPC): 

Zero Emissions Vehicles: Almost a quarter of our emissions come from the transportation sector, and half of these emissions come from the cars and trucks that get Canadians around everyday. We know action is needed to reduce pollution from transportation. That’s why we launched the iZEV program in 2019 to provide purchase rebates of up to $5000 to Canadians who want to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle. And this June we set a mandatory target that all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sales be zero-emissions by 2035, accelerating Canada’s target by 5 years.A re-elected Liberal government will: 

• Invest an additional $1.5 billion in the iZev rebate program and broaden eligibility to a wider range of vehicle types, including used vehicles, to help over 500,000 Canadians get into a zero emissions vehicle Invest an additional $700 million to add 50,000 new electric vehicle chargers and hydrogen stations to Canada’s network.

• Work with industry, labour, and other stakeholders to develop a regulated sales requirement that at least 50% of all new light duty vehicle sales be zero emissions vehicles in 2030.

• Provide $100 million to make sure existing buildings can install charging stations, removing a barrier to adopting a clean car.

• Double down to attract investments and jobs in manufacturing zero emissions vehicles in Canada through the $8 billion Net Zero Accelerator Accelerate our Greening Government commitments to electrify the entire federal fleet of light duty vehicles by 2030, up from our existing target of 80% by 2030.

• Require 100% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sales to be zero emission by 2040, where feasible. Invest $200 million to retrofit large trucks currently on the road to cut pollution now.

A Retrofit Economy that Cuts Pollution and Creates Jobs: The more energy efficient we can make our homes and buildings, the lower our monthly bills are and the less we pollute. In order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, we have to retrofit almost every building in Canada. This presents a real opportunity to kickstart a vibrant retrofit economy, with good middle class jobs in all our communities. A re-elected Liberal government will: 

• Continue to help Canadians improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their energy bills, providing grants of up to $5,000 for home retrofits and interest-free loans of up to $40,000 for deep retrofits.

• Launch a National Net-zero Emissions Building Strategy, which will chart a path to net-zero emissions from buildings by 2050 with ambitious milestones along the way. ● Accelerate the development of the national net-zero emissions model building code for 2025 adoption.

• Accelerate the transition from fossil fuel-based heating systems to electrification through incentives and standards, including investing $250 million to help low-income Canadians get off home-heating oil.

• Require EnerGuide labeling of homes at the time of sale. Create a Low-Carbon Building Materials Innovation Hub to work directly with entrepreneurs, municipalities, provinces and territories, and Indigenous governments to ensure Canadian innovations are best positioned to succeed.

• Enhance investments in the Forest Industry Transformation program, working with partners to create jobs in the forest-based economy and bring forward new innovations in sustainable, low-carbon building materials.

• Launch a community-led net-zero homes initiative that supports projects that pursue multiple concurrent retrofits in a community or neighbourhood, to reduce overall costs. This initiative will be modeled on the Dutch “Energiesprong” program.

A Right to Repair Your Home Appliances: The lifetime of our home appliances has dramatically reduced over the past decade and it is often cheaper to replace it than repair it. That means people are paying more for appliances they are using for less time. And more and more appliances are ending up in landfills. This is costing the middle class and creating a real environmental problem. It shouldn’t be this way. A re-elected Liberal government will: 

• Implement a “right to repair” to extend the life of home appliances, particularly electronics, by requiring manufacturers to supply repair manuals and spare parts and facilitate their replication after the part is no longer produced.

• Introduce a new 15% tax credit to cover the cost of home appliance repairs performed by technicians (up to $500).

• Introduce a bill that includes provisions to better inform citizens of the environmental impacts of consumer products.

• Require businesses to inform Canadians of the environmental impacts of consumer products.

• Amend the Copyright Act to ensure that its provisions cannot prevent the repair of digital devices and systems, even when nothing is being copied or distributed.

• Tackling Food Waste Reducing food waste in Canada can help save consumers money, improve food security, support efficiency in the agriculture and food sector, and significantly cut our pollution. We created Canada’s first ever Food Waste Reduction Challenge, investing $20 million into innovative ways across the economy to cut food waste.

○ Create a new No-Waste Food Fund to help build a circular food economy in Canada where no food is wasted, from farm to table. The fund will help all players along the food supply chain to commercialize and adopt ways to eliminate, reduce, or repurpose food waste. We will continue to partner with, and support, community-based food security organizations to make sure all Canadians have access to healthy food. Better, Cleaner Transportation: People are looking for faster, cheaper, cleaner ways of getting around. Better transit makes life better for everyone. Our investments in public transit up until this year were ten times those of Stephen Harper’s. We were just getting started. Earlier this year we invested an additional $14.9 billion, including establishing Canada’s first permanent public transit fund. A re-elected Liberal government will continue to transform public transit in Canada by:

• Accelerating major public transit projects.

• Supporting the switch to zero-emission buses.

• Developing rural transit solutions.

• Advancing a National Active Transportation Strategy to build bike lanes, wider sidewalks, pathways, and multi-use trails.

• Committing to make High Frequency Rail a reality. We will move forward with the project in the Toronto to Quebec City corridor, with stops in TroisRivieres and Peterborough, among others, using electrified technology. We will launch a procurement process by the end of 2021 and also explore other opportunities to extend the rail toward London and Windsor.

Tackling Plastic Pollution and Building a Circular Economy Canadians are tired of seeing plastics littering our oceans, lakes, rivers, and parks. That’s why we are banning harmful, unrecyclable single-use plastics and have set a goal of eliminating plastic waste by 2030. A circular economy keeps plastics, and other materials, in our economy and out of our environment Zero Plastic Waste by 2030 Currently, only 9% of the plastics that we use are recycled, and tonnes of plastics, worth billions of dollars, are being thrown into landfills. Increasing recycling rates and extending the life cycle of plastics isn’t just an environmental imperative, it’s an economic opportunity. A re-elected Liberal government will: 

• Require that all plastic packaging in Canada contain at least 50% recycled content by 2030.

• Accelerate the implementation of our zero plastic waste action plan, in partnership with provinces and territories, and ensure Canada’s actions are consistent with other leading jurisdictions.

• Continue to work with provinces and territories to ensure that it’s producers, not taxpayers, are responsible for the cost of managing their plastic waste.

• Work with provinces and territories to implement and enforce an ambitious recycling target for plastic beverage bottles.

• Strengthen federal procurement practices to prioritize reusable and recyclable products and support our goal of zero plastic waste.

• Introduce labelling rules that prohibit the use of the chasing-arrows symbol unless 80% of Canada’s recycling facilities accept and have reliable end markets for these products.

• Support provincial and territorial producer responsibility efforts by establishing a federal public registry and require producers to annually report the amount, type, and end-of-life management for plastics in the Canadian economy.

Media and political attention is not always on the most important or achievable aspects of an issue.

 

Ron McKinnon (LPC):

Helping Protect Old Growth Forests in British Columbia: Permanently protecting more old growth forests in British Columbia will help fight climate change and ensure that these iconic and globally significant ecosystems can thrive for generations. A re-elected Liberal government will help support British Columbia protect these iconic and ecologically important old growth forests by:

• Reaching a nature agreement with the province of British Columbia to protect more of the province’s old growth forests and expand protected areas.

• Establishing a $50 million B.C. Old Growth Nature Fund and working with partners to attract additional funding to further support the protection of important old growth forests.

Ensuring First Nations, local communities, and workers are partners in shaping the pathforward on nature protection.

Clean and Healthy Oceans: Oceans are an important part of our culture and a lot of us rely on healthy oceans and clean coastlines. That’s why we launched the Oceans Protection Plan in 2016, which has put in place world-leading shipping safety; strengthened protections for our coasts and marine life, including endangered whales, and opened and reopened Coast Guard stations, to keep people safe. A re-elected Liberal government will:

• Renew and expand the Coastal Restoration fund so that we can restore aquatic habitats

• Make new investments in areas like tidal wetlands, seagrass meadows, and riparian habitats that have a high potential to absorb and store carbon

• Modernize the Oceans Act to explicitly consider climate change impacts on marine ecosystems and species in regional ocean management with measurable progress indicators tied to management objectives

• Expand the Ghost Gear Program to continue to clean up our oceans and coasts from lost and abandoned fishing gear and oceans plastics that endanger sea life, impact fish stocks, and pollute the ocean

• Invest $50 million over the next 5 years to support community shoreline and oceans plastic cleanup

• Create a national, interdisciplinary working group around climate-resilient ocean conservation planning

• Expand climate vulnerability work to better inform marine conservation planning and management

• Continue to protect key marine species, including the Southern Resident Killer Whale, the North Atlantic Right Whale, and the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga

• Advance the historic $647 million Pacific Salmon Strategy launched in June and make new investments to conserve and restore Wild Atlantic Salmon.

Freshwater Fresh, clean water sustains life. But while it seems abundant and constantly flowing, it is ultimately a finite natural resource. The protection of our lakes, rivers and underground aquifers is a critical concern, especially as pollution continues to impact our major waterways, and as droughts and floods become more frequent and severe. To tackle all these complex challenges together, a re-elected Liberal government will:

• Establish and fully fund a Canada Water Agency in 2022, working with partners to safeguard our freshwater resources for generations to come, including by supporting provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners, in developing and updating river basin and large watershed agreements.

• Modernize the 50-year-old Canada Water Act to reflect our new freshwater reality, including addressing climate change, Indigenous water rights.

• Implement a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, including an historic investment of $1 billion over 10 years. This plan will provide essential funding to protect and restore large lakes and river systems, starting with the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River System, Lake Simcoe, the Lake Winnipeg Basin, the Fraser River Basin, and the Mackenzie River Basin.

• Invest $37.5 million in the Experimental Lakes Area in northern Ontario, the world’s only large-scale centre for freshwater science and which the Harper government tried to close. This new funding will also support international freshwater science and research by encouraging international cooperation efforts, including that with the African Great Lakes.

• Offer willing municipalities means to manage and regulate boating on their lakes and rivers so that they promote free access, while ensuring the safety of boaters and the protection of the environment.

Preserving and restoring our pacific salmon amidst the steep decline in our region is crucial to ensuring the Pacific coast has salmon for generations to come. Since 2015, it has been my priority to listen to and advocate for those who work incredibly hard to protect our local fish populations and to educate our community. A key aspect to this is the in-shore restoration to salmon habitats, which links to the clean up of major water systems and lakes. For more information of the Liberal Party’s commitment to an ambitious and real plan to fight climate change and protect the environment, please visit:

https://liberal.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2021/09/Platform-Forward-For-Everyone.pdf