Today in the House of Commons, Brian Masse MP (Windsor West) questioned when the Liberal Government is going to take concrete action to protect the Great Lakes and live up to their binational commitments. See text and video below.
OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)
TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2023
Speaker: The Honourable Anthony Rota
Great Lakes
Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP):
Mr. Speaker, the late great Gordon Lightfoot sang “Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings” in his song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a tribute to the Great Lakes and their power.
Our Great Lakes are a Canadian treasure, but from climate change to toxic waste pollution these lakes are increasingly under threat. Millions of people and several ecosystems are dependent on the largest concentration of fresh water in the world, yet, to our embarrassment, the government has not matched the U.S. in respecting our Great Lakes.
While many great organizations are engaged in their protection, why is the Liberal government still refusing to show leadership on protecting our Great Lakes?
Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. The last budget from my friend and colleague, the Minister of Finance, made provisions for record-level investment in the Great Lakes in the history of Canada.
We are working with our partners across the Great Lakes on this side of the border as well as on the other side of the border. We are in the process of creating, for the first time ever in Canada, an independent Canada water agency that will help us address freshwater issues all across the country.