Thank you, Chair.
Welcome, Minister. I must humbly apologize. I didn't realize all this time that your government had been framed for an Obama victory.
But going back to the transit pass, I recall it being sold through heavy radio advertising before the last election. I don't recall it being sold as a gift to seniors and students; I recall it being sold as an environmental policy.
In terms of the $13 billion you're requesting for work on regulations on climate change, I think that's an admission that you missed your fall deadline to come out with climate change regulations--though I understand we needed to take time out for an election. But I digress.
In the fall of 2006, I introduced a motion to the House calling on the government to introduce a national water strategy. In its 2007 budget, the government paid lip service to the idea of creating a national water strategy, but then did nothing. In the 2007 throne speech that followed, the government again paid lip service to creating a national water strategy--still nothing. Then last spring I introduced a bill based on the work of the Munk Centre at the University of Toronto, calling for safety net legislation to prevent water exports, among other things. This idea was picked up in the fall 2008 throne speech.
Given that you still haven't come up with a national water strategy, why should we believe you will proceed with such a bill, and if you do proceed with it, that it will have any teeth?