Thanks.
Before I begin my line of questioning, I'd like to wish my sisters around the table a happy International Women's Day. It's worthy of being mentioned.
I would like to continue what Ms. Rempel was asking about. We have noticed that the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy produced a report in 2003. It's a report that is of incredible quality. They met with hundreds of witnesses. It's really quite extensive. We'd really like to look to the report, as my colleague said, as a guiding document for this committee.
We also know that this report produced 20 recommendations for the federal government. I was wondering if we could start exploring those recommendations, because that would really give the committee a hint of where we should concentrate and what kinds of topics we should think about.
I'd like to spend my time going through the recommendations one by one and maybe gathering your comments on them. It would be useful if you could tell us what's been done about the recommendations, or what hasn't been done. And if nothing's been done, could you just elaborate on why, what the barriers are, and why no action has been taken?
I am not sure if you have the recommendations in front of you, but I'll read them out. If you want me to repeat them, you may ask me to repeat them.
The first recommendation is as follows:
The Round Table recommends that the federal government accelerate conservation planning in two areas where unique opportunities exist to plan in advance of major industrial development. These areas are the Mackenzie Valley...and Canada's boreal forests.