Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to your Parliament. Most importantly, thank you for your service to the country in your very important role at Environment and Climate Change Canada.
First, I echo what my friend Mr. Mazier said earlier. It's really unfortunate to see that the minister isn't with us today.
Sincerely, Mr. Chair, I expected him to be here, since you were very optimistic about it last week. I find it unfortunate, all the more so because he took part in four question periods last week, he was present yesterday and today in question period, and he was unable to push back the presentation he apparently has to make to cabinet by one hour. He would have been accountable here, in a parliamentary committee. It's his responsibility, and it may not be the first on his list, but it's nevertheless very important to be accountable to the committee. He didn't respond to our request, and that's very unfortunate. Also, I don't recognize him; it seems to me he's the guy who's always willing to go to the front. We want to bring him to the front here, but he's doing everything he can to avoid it. That's too bad.
Mr. Deputy Minister, I'd like to talk to you about the minister's presence. When he appeared before the committee, the first questions I asked him concerned a trip he had taken abroad for COP27, I believe. I asked him how much his environmental bill—or should I say “ill”?—was, and what he intended to do about it when he went halfway around the world. If I remember correctly, he went to Egypt to spend long days and work very hard there for almost 14 days. With regard to the carbon footprint, he told me that the government had standards, that it was the department that took care of it, that credits were being purchased and all that.
Can you give us a few more details to explain, Mr. Tremblay, about what might appear to many to be greenwashing?