The Liberals are again failing to keep their promise on climate action

VICTORIA – During the last federal election campaign, the Liberals promised to plant two billion trees over the next ten years to help combat climate change but, one year later, no trees have been planted.

“To reach Justin Trudeau’s goal of two billion trees planted in ten years, he would have to make sure that two-hundred million trees are planted every year, but the government hasn’t even started,” said NDP Critic for the Environment and Climate Change, Laurel Collins. “Canadians keep hoping this government will actually keep a promise and take action on climate change, but they’ve planted exactly zero trees since that promise was made. In fact, in the last 6 years, all the Liberals have done is buy a pipeline, fail to meet climate targets, and make bold sounding promises they don’t even try to keep. How many times will this government betray the trust of Canadians?”

New Democrats have questioned why it is taking a year to put a plan in place. Especially since Canadian students are in need of jobs during the pandemic and the government completely bungled and then cancelled the Canada Student Service Grant program that was supposed to be run by WE.

“There are tens of thousands of young Canadians who are in dire need of a job, planting trees could have been an employment opportunity for some of them. It could be done safely, outside, while respecting physical distancing measures,” said Collins. “By using government money to bail out their insider friends at WE, the government failed Canadian students and their families and they broke their promises on the environment.”

For more information, please contact the NDP Media Centre: 613-222-2351 or media@ndp.ca