Ms. Alexa McDonough(Halifax, NDP) Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister
Shipping tonnes and tonnes of Toronto garbage to Kirkland Lake is lunacy. It is madness.
It threatens the safety of drinking water for local residents and for millions of residents
downstream. I want to urge the Prime Minister to think of the Ottawa River in
terms of water for drinking, not just water for rafting
I want to ask the Prime Minister when his government will announce the details
of a full federal environmental assessment of the Adams mine proposal.
Mrs. Karen Redman(Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of the Environment, Lib.)
Mr. Speaker, the MInister of the Environment has been petitioned to conduct an environmental
assessment. As a matter of fact, our hon. colleague for Timiskaming-Cochrane has kept this
issue on the front burner. The minister has asked the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
to advise him if the project triggers a federal environmental assessment. Once the agency
has made its investigation the minister will decide on the proper course of action.
Ms. Alexa McDonough(Halifax, NDP) Mr. Speaker, let me say it is bloody well about time the government
began to address the question. I have to say that based on the LIberal record on the environment, Canadians
know that the Liberal walk rarely measures up to the Liberal talk.
I want to ask the federal government today concretely and specifically. Will it assure that
the scope of the environmental assessment--will it be comprehensive? If the safety of the water
is at risk will it stop the dump?
Mrs. Karen Redman (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of the Environment, Lib) Mr. Speaker, what
has the government done in the last seven years? The government has consistently taken strong action
on the environment. We have enacted the Canadian Environmental Protection Act
to protect Canadians from toxics. We have negotiated strong national standards for the provinces
for clean air and clean water. We are negotiating a tough new agreement with the United States
to reduce smog in cities like Toronto, Windsor and Halifax. We have invested
$850 million over the last seven years to reduce the risk of climate change in Canada. We are
encouraging senior technologies like the ##Ballard fuel cels-...
