In your report, you say there's a decade of problems.
Looking at past reports, for instance in 1998, the report said that, “Almost all departments failed to establish the clear and measurable targets”, and that, “The lack of benchmarks needs to be dealt with quickly.” The commissioner said he was “disappointed that many departments did not challenge themselves to look at what really needs to be changed....The status quo is not acceptable any more.” That was in the Commissioner of the Environment's report in 1998.
In 1999, it says, “[The Commissioner] is concerned that federal departments have not layed the groundwork needed to reliably achieve the sustainable development goals they set for themselves in 1997”, and, “[T]he Report also points to a lack of co-ordination among departments”. The commissioner said, “There continues to be a substantial gap between talk and action on the federal government's environment and sustainable development agenda”.
Every year there was a similar critique.
Now we're coming up to 2002. It says, “The federal government has yet to provide a clear picture of what a sustainable Canada would look like 20 years from now”, and, “The federal government's sustainable development strategies...after five years and two generations of strategies, they still fall short”.
In 2005 the report said that, “The federal government has failed to provide departments with the direction they need to co-ordinate their sustainable” development strategies, and that, “An overall federal sustainable development strategy...though long-promised, has not yet been produced.” When it comes to protecting the environment, bold announcements are made, then often forgotten as soon as the confetti hits the ground. The federal government seems to have trouble crossing the finish line.
This has been a similar theme over the last decade. You've elaborated on that. It's a challenge to this committee to get involved. It's been a critique of a decade of problems. I appreciate that. This government is listening clearly to your recommendations. We've agreed with your recommendations, and we've committed to do the review. Less than a year from now, we'll have that.
How am I doing for time?