I think it's important to have. The safety net is important because it acts as a backstop to the patchwork of endangered species legislation that exists in the provinces and the territories. It enables the federal government to step in where the species are not being adequately protected at the provincial level. With the jurisdiction the federal government has over species at risk, I think that's appropriate, and it's an important part of the legislation.
Again, at my fingertips I don't have a response based on a peer-reviewed paper that kind of shows what the evidence there would be. But it's clear that it's important and has acted as an incentive for provinces to actually get their own legislation in place, for example. Having that federal role there and the ability to do that means that provinces have developed stronger legislation, in some cases, since the act has been developed. I suspect those kinds of measures are the pieces that would incent a province to act and get their own strong legislation in place.