QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Single-Use Plastics
June 11, 2019
Honourable senators, yesterday, the government announced it will impose a ban on single-use plastics. Or was it a ban on drinking box, water bottle sorts of things? We are still trying to figure it out on this side. Why, then, just one day prior to telling a gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Canada would use its G7 presidency to get other nations to commit to reducing or phasing out single-use plastics, did your government give $35 million of taxpayer money just a few months ago to a chemical company that makes plastic resins? Talk about hypocrisy.
Let me thank the honourable senator for the question. I will obviously take under advisement to get the briefing with respect to the particular events that he is describing.
Let me say that the Government of Canada’s announcement with respect to plastics is one that ought to be embraced by all Canadians. It is consistent with the direction of liberal democracies and our G7 partners, and commitments made at the G7 summit in Canada last year. It is one that will take place in concert with other countries that are supporting this initiative.
Honourable senators, we will stay on the topic of plastic.
As my colleague Senator Housakos said, the Prime Minister announced yesterday that he intends to pass legislation to ban single-use plastics, at a time when the Parliamentary cafeterias just replaced reusable utensils with plastic ones. This smacks of electioneering.
Worse yet, it is going to take two years to identify these plastics, when a simple phone call would suffice to get a list of single-use plastics and take action immediately, instead of promising to do so in 2021.
Leader of the Government in the Senate, can you tell us whether the Prime Minister will let us know before the election how much this promise will cost Canadians and Canadian companies? Or is he just going to try to ride this irresponsible announcement to re-election?
I thank the honourable senator for the question. I am tempted to say he’s grasping at straws, but that would be too easy.
What I can say is that the transition to which the government is committed is one that will take place in a phased-in period over a number of years, with appropriate consultations.
My question is also for the Leader of the Government in the Senate and has to do with plastic, as well. We learned through social media — and I want to make sure this isn’t fake news — that the Prime Minister was spending $300 a month on bottled water at his residence.
Can the Leader of the Government in the Senate confirm that that is the correct amount?
I thank the honourable senator for the question. Let me take it on notice.
