Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank my colleagues. I think you're all asking very good questions today, especially Madame Sinclair-Desgagné. Thank you so much for introducing the topic I wish to discuss, which is environmental concerns, and in particular the cost of climate change in Canada.
Just from the questions asked by my colleague, it's certain how important this is for Canadians, how critical it is to update our accounting principles to make them more transparent for Canadians and how important it is to understand the costs to the public when it comes to these things.
When I was first elected, we had an emergency debate. One of my first emergency debates was on the flooding in British Columbia, a massive catastrophe that affected my province dramatically. People we have heard from coast to coast are concerned about this.
We also have seen examples of the catastrophe we witnessed with Hurricane Fiona and how public infrastructure and people's communities were just completely uprooted.
In my province, we deal with forest fires. I worked in the province of Alberta at a time when we dealt with huge forest fires that totalled hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. When we looked at ways to demonstrate that loss to Albertans, it was quite difficult because of these considerations.
For the sake of Canadians who are faced with an emergency in climate change, I think it's important to attempt to paint a picture, without the kind of accounting principles that would make this discussion more comprehensive, to try to help Canadians understand the total damages that we face due to climate change.
I ended my questioning last Friday with Mr. Huppé with a question I asked on damages. I looked into some of the further details you provided to me then as well. I referred to a particular section within volume III, I believe it was, which said:
In 2020-21, 497 cases of vandalism and 109 cases of accidental damage totalled $2.9-million. By comparison, the 2022 Public Accounts detail 579 cases of vandalism to buildings or real property and 284 cases of accidental damage, totalling $48.9-million. Most of that increase is attached to accidental damage, which jumped by $45.7-million. Twelve departments and agencies reported damage or vandalism to public buildings or real property in the 2021-22.... [T]he highest associated cost was reported by Parks Canada (at $43.34-million, of which $43.26-million was accidental damage.
Fisheries was a close second, and so on, in those 12 ministries.
I do want to get to both the Auditor General and Mr. Huppé, but we can start with Mr. Huppé, please.
Last week you mentioned that there was, in one particular account of yours, a conversation about a bridge and the total damages related to that bridge.
Could you elaborate on the cost of that bridge and the impacts it has, and where Canadians can find those things in the information you presented?