QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Nature Programming
November 5, 2025
Senator Moreau, yesterday Budget 2025 was released, and it promised to supercharge our economic growth. To quote the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, “Let us build a Canada that is confident, secure, and resilient—for today, and for generations to come.” This is important.
I recently met with Nature Canada. They emphasized the importance of funding Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy, which is core to Canada’s economic resilience and for healthy future generations to come. Yesterday, Nature Canada put out a statement that said the 2025 Liberal platform reflected Canadians’ calls for adequate resources for nature protection and restoration. However, yesterday’s budget — or today’s budget, as they were saying — does not yet provide the funds required to implement Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy.
Senator Moreau, since investments in nature were not highlighted in the budget, can you confirm how the Prime Minister plans to keep his promises to allocate resources to nature protection to ensure a resilient future for generations to come?
I have every confidence that the Prime Minister will implement the Liberal Party’s election platform. Having said that, the world, as I said, is undergoing a fundamental shift at a speed, scale and scope not seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is not a transition; it is a rupture. In moments like this, the government must be bold and focused on what they can change.
The government’s plan is to do exactly that: Build the economy, lower costs and make smart investments that will grow the economy for the long term. That will be the investment in the future generation, not only in terms of nature and the environment, but also for Canadians who need it the most. When the economy grows, the government has the opportunity to invest in the right place.
We all want the economy to grow, and we also want a planet that will be here when we have a strong economy.
The only real mention of nature in the budget states:
To meet up to 15 per cent in savings targets over three years and streamline program delivery, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) will prioritize activities within its core mandate. . . . ECCC will also streamline its nature programming to simplify engagement with stakeholders and reduce administrative burden.
Based on this statement, is nature programming being cut, sustained or expanded by Environment and Climate Change Canada? It’s hard to know.
At this time, senator, I can’t tell you what it will look like, but the government is rigorously reviewing all government spending and making responsible choices so that it can deliver smarter, faster and more effectively for all Canadians.
This work is ongoing, and in the coming weeks, we will have the opportunity to ask questions specifically within the Senate committees when we examine the bill to implement the budget.
