Mr. Chair, I don't want colleagues around the table to think that this is anything more than simple housekeeping. The reality is that while it would be hard to find a Canadian who wouldn't agree that every resident of Canada has an interest in environmental protection, this comment is purely, in and of itself, editorial insofar as the legislation is concerned.
We just had a motion brought forward and an amendment by the Liberal Party at the last meeting amending clause 10 of the bill, saying that every Canadian has an obligation to protect the environment.
Again, this is a very assuming statement that every resident of Canada has an interest in environmental protection. While I certainly have an interest in it and while I believe the sponsor of the bill has an interest in it, and while I believe every member of this committee has an interest in it, it's a little bit assuming that every Canadian would view that this clause is absolutely correct.
I believe it has no bearing and should have no bearing in a court of law because it is basically legislating the morality of environmental thinking in the country. Therefore, I simply suggest that we remove it.
The clause, in its intention, is about the Government of Canada and its ability to involve Canadians who are interested, but to make the broad statement that every Canadian is interested, I think is simply more of an editorial comment in its lecturing and frankly quite condescending to Canadians.