This is a highly political question, obviously. It is made more complex by the fact that, so far, the jurisdiction over the Gulf of St. Lawrence is not quite clear. We are all waiting for information from the federal and Quebec governments about negotiations and requirements relating to the potential development of those resources. Our organization does not have any official position on the steps taken so far, but a moratorium in the Gulf of St. Lawrence does seem absolutely necessary. It is clear that we do not have enough scientific information about the potential impacts of drilling and spills, large or small. The affected communities have not all been consulted as they should have been. We should proceed slowly and democratically, and we should make sure that the regulation regime is well established and well understood by Canadians and Quebecers.
I would like to answer in part the question you put earlier to Mr. Cadigan. Whether as a Canadian or as an environmental legal advisor, his answer did not allay my concerns. As a Canadian, I need to know that concrete steps will be taken. The fact is that no serious concrete steps have yet been taken. Politicians and regulators keep telling us to wait for the reports, either from the National Energy Board or from the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board. They say that we should wait for those reports to be received and analyzed, and to wait for the results of the National Energy Board review. They also say that we should wait for the results of the US presidential commission, and that it is only after having received all that that we should start discussing what should be done.
This does not indicate any great sense of caution. We are led to believe that everything is fine, that we should trust everyone, that things are moving forward and that the small problems will be resolved later. I do not think that is acceptable for Canadians and Quebecers. As a Quebec resident, I do not find that acceptable.