Jenny colleague, NDP MP Matthew Green (Hamilton East), raised numerous issues that are important to Vancouver East too in addressing the Throne Speech. I asked him: Would he advocate for the government to take the climate emergency seriously and, first and foremost, take action to reduce the subsidies for the fossil fuel industry?
"Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for the subamendment. It is particularly important for the people of Vancouver East on all of the issues he highlighted, whether it be on the climate emergency, housing, universal pharmacare, more affordability for people and so on.
One of the issues the member highlighted in his speech was the climate emergency. The government often says, and we saw it in the throne speech, that it is going to deal with this issue, yet this is the government that bought a pipeline and has not tackled the subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. We know, according to the IMF, that Canada is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $60 billion a year. We know the government is not tackling the tax loopholes for the wealthiest and the biggest corporations. If it did that, we could save some $10 billion per year.
Would the member advocate for the government to, once and for all, take the climate emergency seriously and, first and foremost, take action to reduce the subsidies for the fossil fuel industry?"