Thank you, Mr. Warawa.
I will be coming to future meetings, given that I'm Ms. Duncan's deputy critic for water, climate change, and national parks and that I'm very interested in the process.
I'm a rookie member from Thunder Bay. I am a biologist, a forester, and a business person.
I'm concerned about what I'm hearing here this morning. There are many economists out there, some of whom I'm quite aware of, who have a lot of expertise on the environment and who have been studying the ecological implications of the environment and the environmental implications of the economy for decades. I'm concerned that while we have a very intelligent man here, who is capable of learning, this is a very expensive training program.
My question to you, sir, is a philosophical one.
Is it the mandate of Environment Canada to seek and find compromise between the economy and the environment internally, or is it the job of Environment Canada to be the effective advocate for the environment and to allow other ministries, such as Natural Resources, Industry, and Finance, to provide that alleged balance with the economy?
I'm concerned that with your experience and focus on the economic aspects you will see your role, and be good at your role, as making those compromises internally rather than as sticking up for the environment effectively.