Fractured: Tales of the Canadian Post-Apocalypse(21)



Hon. Stella Ip (Minister of International Trade, CPC): Madam Speaker, as usual the member opposite has twisted the prime minister’s motives in order to make her sound like some kind of monster. I think it is important that the record be set straight. The prime minister is travelling to other oil-rich countries because we need to strengthen our economic and political relationships with them in these troubled times. I wonder if the other parties have noticed that the sources of oil we have here at home are under threat. The price of oil hasn’t risen this steeply since the OPEC crises of the 1970s. I wonder if the members here today thought about where their next tank of gas is coming from as they drove their cars here today.

Ms. Kisi Armah-Cohen (Edmonton—Holyrood, GP): Madam Speaker, some of us didn’t drive our cars here because we are committed to public transit and sustainable ways of living, and I might suggest that had the members of the Conservative party thought more carefully about environmental sustainability, instead of thinking about how to dig as deep a hole in the tar sands as it was possible to dig, we might not be in this mess in the first place.

The Speaker:

Order. The member for Edmonton—Holyrood still has the floor. I realize these are controversial issues but I remind members to watch their language in the House.

Ms. Kisi Armah-Cohen:

Madam Speaker, setting my previous comments aside for the moment, I have a different question. Clearly it would be reprehensible if the prime minister were simply wheeling and dealing with the president of Nigeria and wining and dining the King of Dubai and whatnot, rather than facing the crisis situation here in Canada. But I am wondering if the hon. members opposite would be willing to address rumours that their leader has arranged her meetings with the leadership of these countries for other, not-strictly-business-related reasons.

Hon. Stella Ip:

Madam Speaker, if the member is making an accusation I suggest that she come out and say it.

Some hon. members:

Oh, oh!

The Speaker:

Order. Let the member answer.

Ms. Kisi Armah-Cohen:

Madam Speaker, I make no accusation. I had simply assumed that the minister has opened even a single newspaper or magazine or website within the past week and would therefore know what I am talking about. Given her important position in the cabinet, I had not considered the possibility that she is not keeping up with current events. Well then, I suppose I must be the bearer of bad news. TheToronto Mail published an exposé yesterday morning which reported that other oil-producing countries are beginning to experience a churn similar to ours, but that they are for the moment keeping it successfully under wraps. Though I disagree with almost all of this government’s policies and almost all of the actions and priorities of the current prime minister, I would actually be relieved to hear that she is attending summits about environmental issues rather than simply trying to bargain for better prices for oil on the open market.

Hon. Stella Ip:

Madam Speaker, I do, as it happens, read newspapers. It had simply not occurred to me that the member from Edmonton—Holyrood would be citing the Mail’s absurd story, which is backed up by no evidence whatsoever and which is an embarrassment to journalism. There is no black mud eating Nigeria.

The Speaker:

Order. Many members are rising for questions and it is important for as many as possible to be heard. Now the member for Yukon has the floor.

Mr. Stanley Joseph (Yukon, NDP): Madam Speaker, I know that none of us would base accusations— Ms. Kisi Armah-Cohen:

It was not an accusation.

Mr. Stanley Joseph:

Fine, none of us would knowingly bring information into the House that is not supported by evidence. But what would suitable evidence look like, given that the black zone can’t be photographed? Even the cameras on the ISS can’t penetrate the smog cover, and obviously the ISS has its own problems right now anyway. On top of that, contrary to what the Conservative party wants the public to believe, we don’t know what the risks are in sending more vehicles into the zone. My party is not confident that it is safe to do so, and we find it repulsive that the Conservatives want to legislate them into advancing just for the sake of glamour shots of “sending in the tanks.” That approach hasn’t served us very well so far.

My point, Madam Speaker, is that if Nigeria or Dubai or other countries are experiencing similar natural disasters, I imagine they are also encountering similar problems in documenting those disasters, whether or not they are actively trying to cover something up. I would prefer to assume good faith on the part of those governments, but of course that would be easier if the prime minister were honest about her motives in meeting with them.

Hon. Stella Ip:

Madam Speaker, I wish everyone wouldn’t speak as if it is a perfectly normal assumption that there is churn anywhere but Alberta and Saskatchewan. From what I understand, the type of bituminous sands we have here are unique to Canada, and maybe I think Kazakhstan or somewhere over there, so oil fields in other parts of the world don’t have the same chemical makeup or underlying structure that would lead to this unique set of problems. I would like the members to stop coming up with conspiracy theories, and instead focus on the work the government is doing to make sure we all still have access to fuel and plastic, and the lifestyle to which we as Canadians are accustomed.

Scientific Expertise

Mr. Kwang-Hee Park (Cornwall—Akwesasne, Lib.) Madam Speaker, if the Conservatives were willing to discuss this with a panel of experts who have spent their whole lives learning about geology and geography, as the leader of my party mentioned earlier, then we might well find an answer to the question of what’s causing the churn and how to stop it without needing to turn to, as the minister calls them, conspiracy theories.

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