The Commons Environment committee members stated they needed to control their travel expenses and reduce their carbon footprint..According to Blacklock’s Reporter, an MP stated that the committee would not incur the travel spending of Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, his staff, and officials, who spent more than $700,000 in travel expenses over the past year..“As the environment committee, we have to be careful when we travel,” said Conservative MP Gerard Deltell (Louis-St. Laurent, QC). .“This is sometimes what I think when I see the Minister travelling all around the world.”.“I am a fiscal conservative,” Deltell told the committee. .“There are no small savings.” .Deltell added he does “not like to fly” in any event, “and more than ever, I would say, like a lot of people, I am very concerned with the environmental footprint when we travel.”.Minister Guilbeault, his director of communications, chief of staff, executive assistant to the chief of staff and various advisors and department of Environment managers billed $710,913 in travel expenses in the past year, according to records. .Destinations included Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Banff, Bella Coola, Berlin, Bogota, Brasilia, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Calgary, Charlottetown, Copenhagen, Denver, Edmonton, Eureka, Fredericton, Florence and Geneva..They also travelled to Halifax, Hamilton, Helsinki, Interlaken, Iqaluit, Kinshasa, Leipzig, Lisbon, London, Montréal, New Delhi, New York, Niagara Falls, Paris, Québec City, Rome, Saguenay, Santiago, Sapporo, Sarnia, Saskatoon, Sharm el-Sheikh, Smoky Lake, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Vaughan, Victoria, Vienna, Washington, Whitehorse and Winnipeg..“We all know we could do less,” said Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden (Milton, ON), parliamentary secretary for the environment. Van Koeverden said he occasionally travelled by train to his riding to reduce emissions. “We should examine our impact on the environment.”.Concerns about the carbon footprint of MPs were discussed as the committee debated possibly visiting a recycling plant in Montreal and flying to Alberta to inspect a tailings pond..“If we want to travel as a committee, we must submit a budget,” said Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-St. Louis, QC), chair of the committee..“I love Alberta, I love visiting,” said MP van Koeverden, turning to Conservative MP Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard, AB). .“Mr. Kmiec, it might be easy for you to visit Alberta.”.“I live in Alberta,” replied MP Kmiec. .“I don’t visit.”
