A ban on plastics implemented by the Liberal government has affected Canadians, from the discontinuation of single-use plastic bags to the replacement of plastic straws with paper ones at restaurants. The motion to overturn this law, introduced in 1999, was brought forward by Saskatoon MP Corey Tochor. The goal is to remove manufactured plastic items from the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie seconded the motion, criticizing the current law as lacking common sense.
"I’ve been told countless times by people across the riding that they hate the paper straws and utensils, and they want to go back to plastic. I tend to agree with them. It was interesting -- I’ve been in a few schools talking to students, and that issue has come up each and every time from our youth, which I find quite interesting. At the end of the day, what the Liberal government decided to do here was unilaterally and unconstitutionally ban the use of plastics by classifying them as a toxic substance."
Leslie explains that the government has since appealed the decision, but the ban remains in place. The new legislation seeks to overturn what he calls an unconstitutional ban and restore access to these products for Canadians.
"I’ve done quite a bit of research into the alternatives because I think it's important if you’re trying to do something for an environmental purpose, like removing plastic waste from our oceans, which of course is a laudable goal. The facts don’t bear that out in terms of our recycling abilities. In Canada, we have over a 99 per cent success rate in plastic waste removal, and our contribution to ocean plastics is about 0.02 per cent. We know where the challenge is -- it comes from, often, Asian countries. So, I view this as environmental policy that is more about feeling good than actually improving environmental outcomes."
Leslie also points out that some alternatives allowed under the current law, such as paper-based products, could be harmful to humans. After researching the issue thoroughly, he decided to second the motion.
"The debate on this was delayed, along with the vote, due to the parliamentary privilege motion and the Liberal 'Green Slush Fund' we’ve been debating. I look forward to seeing it debated, hopefully the week of the 7th, and I hope my colleagues see that this is one of those common-sense issues. Let consumers have the choice they want, let’s protect Canadians, and let’s make sure we don’t fall into the trap of doing things that sound good but don’t actually help our environment."
Leslie adds that some restaurants continue to use plastic straws, likely because they have stockpiled them, given the high costs faced by small businesses.
"The ban remains in place while the federal government appeals the decision to the Federal Court of Appeal. That said, after speaking with some legal experts, I don’t believe their argument will hold water. In fact, I believe the court will uphold the original ruling, saying that the Liberal ban on plastics was unconstitutional in its implementation. But in the meantime, this bill offers a common-sense solution to fix the legislative problem that created the ban in the first place. I hope to get support from all parties for Bill C-380."
Leslie made a video this past summer highlighting his concerns.