MP Report: Federal Tories offer ‘Real Plan to Protect Our Environment’

By medicinehatnews on July 5, 2019.

Protecting Canada’s environment, a Conservative core principle dating back to Confederation, follows the basic principle that whatever we inherit from those who came before us we must leave in better shape for those who come after us. This ideal was instilled by Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, the architect and founder of our national parks system.  

Conservatives understand the threat climate change represents to not only Canada, but globally. Therefore, I support leader Andrew Scheer’s “Real Plan to Protect Our Environment,” the fifth pillar of our party platform, which analyzes and formulates strategic resolutions on critical environmental issues affecting Canada and the world. 

Scheer’s three guiding principles to combat climate change – without the burden of a carbon tax – will reduce emissions in Canada and contribute to the global fight against climate change. The focus of our Conservative plan includes:

Green technology, not taxes is the best way to reduce Canada’s emissions, by implementing:

Green Investment Standards that require polluters whose emissions exceed strict limits to invest in emissions-reduction technology specific to their industry. 

Green Homes Tax Credit, a two-year, 20% credit on green renovation costs of $1,000 to $20,000. This will encourage home improvement with emissions-reducing technologies, saving Canadians up to $3,800 on their green renovations annually.

Green Patent Credit for green innovators and entrepreneurs who create new emissions-reducing technologies. This will lower the tax rate from 15% to 5% on income earned from the patent of new green technology.

Promote a cleaner and greener natural environment to protect our air, land, water and wildlife.

By working with environmental stewards, such as farmers, hunters and anglers, and Indigenous peoples, Conservatives will:

Reinstate funding for wetland, watershed, and fisheries conservation revoked by the Liberals. 

Reconvene the Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel the Liberals disbanded, so those with the greatest interest in protecting species and habitats can share their expertise in how it will be done. 

Implement real action on reducing plastic waste by harmonizing recycling standards across provinces and working with industry to cut down on excessive packaging

Take our fight against climate change global by understanding greenhouse gas emissions do not recognize borders. 

Canada has a leadership role to play, beginning with exporting our environmental excellence through programs, such as:

Green Expansion Accelerator that will provide targeted capital cost allowances to industries that can be shown to reduce emissions in other countries. For example, Canada’s LNG industry can educate high emission nations of its tremendous potential to lower global emissions while also growing the Canadian economy. 

Canadian Clean Brand, a product designation that will communicate to the world which technologies can lower emissions around the world.

Our plan is the most comprehensive environmental platform ever put forward by a political party in Canada. Encompassing 60 pages, outlining 55 specific, realistic and achievable policy commitments, the complete plan can be viewed online at ARealPlan.ca. 

Glen Motz is Member of Parliament (CPC) for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner.

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