QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
Plastic Waste
November 22, 2023
Minister, I’d like to come back to the issue of plastic pollution. Your initiatives in this regard are disastrous. The Canadian Press has reported that poor communities, particularly in Myanmar, are highly polluted by tonnes of plastic waste from Canada. However, Canadian authorities haven’t granted any permits authorizing the export of this waste to that country. Environment Canada inspectors make virtually no inspections of the cargoes of ships exporting waste. What’s more, the Federal Court has ruled that your proposed regulations on single-use plastics, including plastic straws, are unconstitutional.
Minister, don’t you think that your government should first tackle plastic pollution by exercising its powers within its own jurisdiction, rather than in a provincial jurisdiction? It seems to me that you’re looking at the mote in your neighbour’s eye rather than the beam in your own.
It is rather ironic that, on one hand, you’re criticizing us for not doing enough to fight plastic pollution, while on the other, you’re also saying that we shouldn’t do too much to fight that type of pollution. I think we need to make a choice.
The Federal Court ruling overturned the list of plastics but not the regulations that we put in place. There’s an important distinction between the two. As I said publicly, we’re going to appeal the ruling. Since that ruling was made public, I’ve received messages from scientists across the country, including some at the INRS in Quebec, saying that they want to testify about the impact that plastic pollution is having on the environment and on the health of Canadians. These scientists also support our efforts to combat plastic pollution.
Minister, that is smoke and mirrors. Plastic is exported to developing countries. Here in Canada, roughly 90% of plastic is buried. It is smoke and mirrors. It is not by regulating plastic straws, which fall under provincial jurisdiction, or by claiming these are hazardous materials that you’re going to solve the problem of plastic pollution and the problem of plastic waste that we’re sending to developing countries. It is embarrassing. You should be ashamed.
Again, senator, you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth. You say that we need to do more to fight plastic pollution, but that the federal government shouldn’t do too much. We decided to take action. The Federal Court made its ruling. We will appeal the decision and we will go to the Supreme Court if necessary. Our approach to plastic was celebrated by many experts in the country, by NGOs, by researchers and by several countries internationally.
