Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I think it's important to point out that, yes, indeed, this law, Mr. Chair, does add new, innovative, leading-edge provisions. It's the entire intent of this bill to introduce and expand on the rights of citizens to participate in environmental decision-making and to hold the government accountable. Those are completely consistent with the platform of the Conservative Party of Canada, to provide for grassroots decision-making and to make sure that government is accountable. So far in law we don't have a lot of mechanisms to really ensure a voice for citizens. It's been revealed that in most cases ministers responsible for the environment are meeting mostly with industry and not with citizens.
This is providing forums for people to actually assert those responsibilities.
If you look, for example, in the measure that the member is mentioning, 19(1)(f), “order the defendant to take specified preventative measures”, well, that's logical because the action is to deal with the government's duty as the trustee of the environment to protect the environment in the interests of Canadians and not to violate the right to a healthy, ecologically balanced environment.
When the court interprets this and when the actions are brought, they're going to be considered in the context of other environmental laws and responsibilities and commitments that the Government of Canada has signed on to, obligations in environmental law and commitments that include the precautionary principle. That is precisely why that provision is added in.