Thank you.
I have some questions for you, Ms. McArthur.
You indicated that these communities often don't have any political clout, and I am absolutely in agreement with you, especially when I think of the way that Canada has treated indigenous peoples in the past. We continue to believe that all vulnerability factors must be considered. I don't know if you are aware of what happened with the Horne Smelter, which is in Rouyn, where the population is mostly white. There is also the Charl-Pol factory in La Baie. Would that be considered environmental racism when the toxicity of the air has an impact on employees?
I could also talk to you about the red dust that settles on Limoilou, or the air quality in the eastern part of Montreal, where the population is mostly francophone, white and economically disadvantaged, and they're the ones suffering from all these factors.
We believe that businesses aren't really concerned about race; what they're after is profit. They don't care about their employees or the people living nearby. For some businesses, it is the desire to make a buck that generates all this toxicity.
Ms. Waldron had mentioned certain factors, such as education, weak political representation and precarious socioeconomic conditions, amongst others. I absolutely agree with her. Actually, she gave an excellent critique of neoliberalism.
The Bloc québécois believes that we could have a bill that does the job. The Horne Smelter is a good example, and we hope that all MPs from all parties will support our suggestions to improve the bill, strengthen it and give it teeth, so that the law protects everyone and ensures equality for all when it comes to health. We would like the enforcement of this bill to take into account the origins and socioeconomic conditions of these communities, as well as their history and development.
Would you support such an amendment to strengthen the bill?