Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2026-05-27 16:45:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Patrick Bonin (Repentigny, BQ)",
        "fr": "Patrick Bonin (Repentigny, BQ)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"9360433\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Mr. Speaker, today I want to heartily commend the member for Laurier\u2014Sainte\u2011Marie, the former minister of environment and heritage, for his public service. I am even taking the unusual liberty of addressing him by name, Steven, this one last time.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360434\" data-originallang=\"fr\">He and I have known each other for 25 years. Back then, he was with Greenpeace. He had long hair and a longer beard, but with fewer grey hairs. He enjoyed climbing towers and installing solar panels on premiers' homes. Some people even called him \u201cJesus of Montreal\u201d. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360435\" data-originallang=\"fr\">We crossed paths for years within the Quebec, Canadian and international environmental movements, and at over 30 international climate conferences, or COPs, which he participated in and excelled at, including a number which he attended as environment minister.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360436\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Without a doubt, one of his greatest achievements was the Kunming-Montreal agreement on biodiversity, a resounding success that would not have been possible without him. His accomplishments also and obviously include the climate change plan, which may not have been perfect or ambitious enough, but was by far the most ambitious in Canada's history. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360437\" data-originallang=\"fr\">We have certainly had our differences when it comes to the best way to serve the environmental cause. We did not always agree on the best strategy to take. We were sometimes critical of one another, but I never doubted his commitment to fighting climate change.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360438\" data-originallang=\"fr\">On behalf of the Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois and myself, I want to wish him all the best going forward. I know that he will continue to advocate for the environment and climate in other forums and other groups, and I would be pleased to be able to work with him again one day. It is unfortunate that he is leaving, but it is a consequence and an illustration of a fundamental divide in Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360439\" data-originallang=\"fr\">He was by far the most ambitious environment minister in the history of this country, the one who did the most. He is, without a doubt, the best environment minister this country has ever known. However, it was too much for Canada, and yet despite always being between a rock and a hard place, he truly did everything that he could. For that, I sincerely thank you, Steven.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360440\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Now that he might have more free time on his hands this summer, I heard that, if he wants to have a bit of fun and if he wants to send a clear message to the government about climate change, he can always visit the CN tower.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360441\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The question that I want to ask him today and the one that is on everyone's mind is this: Will he take this opportunity to give us a sneak peek at what he plans to do next?</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"9360433\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je tiens absolument \u00e0 saluer aujourd'hui le service public du d\u00e9put\u00e9 de Laurier\u2014Sainte\u2011Marie, ex-ministre de l'Environnement et du Patrimoine. Je me permets exceptionnellement de m'adresser \u00e0 lui en utilisant son nom, Steven, en cette derni\u00e8re occasion.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360434\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Lui et moi nous connaissons depuis 25 ans. \u00c0 l'\u00e9poque, il \u00e9tait chez Greenpeace. Il avait les cheveux longs, et sa barbe \u00e9tait plus longue et un peu moins blanche aussi. Il aimait \u00e9galement escalader des tours et aller poser des panneaux solaires sur les r\u00e9sidences des premiers ministres. Certains l'appelaient m\u00eame le \u00ab J\u00e9sus de Montr\u00e9al \u00bb.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360435\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Nous nous sommes c\u00f4toy\u00e9s pendant des ann\u00e9es dans le mouvement environnemental qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, canadien et international, et dans plusieurs des 30 conf\u00e9rences internationales sur le climat, ou COP, auxquelles il a particip\u00e9 et dans lesquelles il a excell\u00e9, dont plusieurs \u00e0 titre de ministre de l'Environnement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360436\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Un de ses plus grands faits d'armes est sans contredit l'accord Kunming-Montr\u00e9al sur la biodiversit\u00e9, une grande r\u00e9ussite qui n'aurait pas \u00e9t\u00e9 possible sans lui. Un autre de ses faits d'armes est \u00e9videmment le plan de lutte contre les changements climatiques qui, m\u00eame s'il n'\u00e9tait pas parfait, pas assez ambitieux, est de loin celui qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 le plus ambitieux dans l'histoire de ce pays.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360437\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Nous avons certainement eu des d\u00e9saccords en ce qui a trait \u00e0 la fa\u00e7on de mieux servir la cause environnementale. Nous n'\u00e9tions pas toujours d'accord sur les strat\u00e9gies. Nous avons parfois \u00e9t\u00e9 critiques, mais je n'ai jamais dout\u00e9 de son engagement dans la lutte contre les changements climatiques.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360438\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Au nom du Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois et en mon nom, je tiens \u00e0 lui souhaiter le meilleur pour la suite. Je suis certain qu'il continuera \u00e0 militer pour l'environnement et le climat sous d'autres forums, dans d'autres groupes, et ce sera avec plaisir que nous pourrons de nouveau travailler ensemble. Son d\u00e9part est malheureux, mais c'est \u00e0 la fois la cons\u00e9quence et l'illustration d'un clivage fondamental au Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360439\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Il aura \u00e9t\u00e9 le ministre de l'Environnement de loin le plus ambitieux de l'histoire de ce pays, celui qui en a le plus fait, sans l'ombre d'un doute, le meilleur ministre de l'Environnement que ce pays a connu. Toutefois, pour le Canada, c'\u00e9tait \u00e9norme, c'\u00e9tait beaucoup trop, et pourtant, entre deux diff\u00e9rends irr\u00e9conciliables, il aura r\u00e9ellement tout fait ce qui \u00e9tait en son pouvoir. Pour cela, merci du fond du c\u0153ur, Steven.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360440\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Maintenant qu'il aura possiblement plus de temps cet \u00e9t\u00e9, j'ai entendu dire que s'il veut s'amuser un peu, il y a toujours la tour du CN qu'il peut aller visiter s'il veut envoyer un message clair au gouvernement au sujet des changements climatiques.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9360441\" data-originallang=\"fr\">La question que je veux lui poser aujourd'hui, et que nous nous posons tous, c'est: va-t-il profiter de l'occasion pour nous r\u00e9v\u00e9ler en primeur quels seront ses prochains d\u00e9fis?</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2026/5/27/patrick-bonin-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/patrick-bonin/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4714/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "13525864",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Ordres \u00e9manant du gouvernement"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2",
        "fr": "Loi no 2 d'ex\u00e9cution du budget de 2025"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2026/5/27/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2026%2F5%2F27%2F"
    }
}