With such an arduous and rigorous, but slow, process, Canada has consistently slipped to the bottom of the international list in terms of the amount of harmful chemicals existing in our environment. The concern I have with this issue of toxics is the length of delay that may be incurred if we switch the name.
My question, Ms. Collins--and this will be my last one--is about the number of years it took to define it through the courts. This is typical: legislation is enacted; someone challenges it on some level, pro or con; the courts see through it; it goes all the way to the Supreme Court; it gets defined; and clearly, we now have a definite working definition. How long would it take if we changed the definition now? If we removed the word “toxic” and replaced it with another word or another set of definitions, would we embark on another process soon?