Question Period Notes
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In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
The question period notes may be partially or fully redacted in accordance with the legislation; for example, if the notes contain information related to national security or personal information. (Learn more about exemptions and exclusions.)
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Canada’s softwood lumber trade dispute with the U.S. is negatively impacting the forest sector’s competitiveness. The Government of Canada is supporting the forest sector through opportunities in innovation, clean technology and the bioeconomy, to create and sustain good jobs and to enhance the sector’s resilience and competitiveness.
Canada committed to using nature-based solutions to help fight climate change – including planting two billion trees to clean the air and make communities greener. The Government of Canada is working to implement the plan to plant two billion incremental trees over the next ten years.
While the mining industry is a key contributor to Canada’s economic well-being, global trade tensions continue to create uncertainly for the global economy and commodity markets. The Government of Canada will continue to support the mineral industry to ensure it remains competitive.
Canada’s allies are concerned about reliance on non-market economies for the minerals and metals required for their manufacturing and defense industrial bases. The EU, the U.S., Japan and Australia are beginning to consider what steps governments can take in cooperation to secure supply chains and ensure that critical minerals are available for sensitive and high technologies used in global defense, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing. Canada has the potential to serve as an important supplier of these “critical minerals” and metals, and to develop associated downstream industries.
The Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP) is a pan-Canadian vision for the future of the minerals and metals sector to help position Canada as the leading mining nation and lay the foundation for lasting success at home and abroad.
Access to – and use of – personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves and gowns are essential to the safest possible restart of the natural resources sectors, and other parts of the economy and society.
Climate change impacts affect Canadians across the country along with the resilience of the natural resources sectors and the communities that depend on them. These impacts will persist, and in many cases amplify over the coming decades. Ambitious action is necessary to reduce risks, build resilience and adapt to take advantage of emerging opportunities.
Canada is the only G7 country that lacks consistent and authoritative flood hazard mapping of its high-risk flood zones. This results in gaps in knowledge to inform flood risk management throughout Canadian jurisdictions. In response to this, Natural Resources Canada is working with Public Safety Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, as well as with the provinces and territories and Indigenous peoples to complete all flood maps in Canada.
Uptake by provinces and territories of a federally-led Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program is expected to be positive given that this program will produce updated flood hazards maps critical in filling knowledge gaps across the country and will support environmental and economic priorities.
Natural resource sectors are among the economic sectors hit hardest by the pandemic. The Government of Canada has put in place measures to support the economic recovery.
Indigenous people and communities have expressed concerns about major natural resource projects, including their ability to participate in assessment and regulatory processes, and contribute to the mitigation of potential impacts on their Aboriginal and treaty rights.