The following letter was sent to Steven MacKinnon, leader of the government in the House of Commons, and Peter Julian, House leader of the New Democratic Party, by Chris-Severson Baker, executive director of the Pembina Institute, on March 17, 2024.
Dear MP Steven MacKinnon and MP Peter Julian,
I am writing to express my support for Bill C-50, the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, and to respectfully request your government swiftly pass this essential legislation through the House of Commons.
Bill C-50 provides an important opportunity to align Canada’s approach to workforce, regional, and economic development with our climate goals. Labour and environmentally-minded Canadians alike support this Act, which will set up the architecture that will drive the investments, plans and policies Canada needs to realize more economic growth, decent jobs for workers, and pathways for workers in high-emitting sectors.
We know how challenging it was to get the Bill through committee in the fall, and we appreciate the countless hours Members of Parliament spent defending and improving the text. Now we are looking forward to the Act's passage in the House of Commons but are highly concerned that Parliament is running out of time.
This is why we are calling on you, as House Leaders, to stand up for workers, and to stand up to climate deniers by putting Bill C-50 onto the order paper before the budget.
So much work has gone into the development and study of the Act: it is time for C-50 to be enshrined in legislation so that the urgent and important work of transforming our economy can begin.
We are excited to be able to celebrate the passage of Bill C-50 as well as your leadership on this essential piece of legislation. If there is any way we can support you to get this Bill past the finish line, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Once again, thank you for your work and contribution to Canada's future economic success.
Kind regards,
Chris Severson-Baker
Executive Director | Pembina Institute
