Thanks, Chair.
There are a couple of things about this that quite surprised me.
First of all, number five requests that the commissioner of the environment conduct an audit. That's wonderful. I would say please, 100%, they should go ahead with that. I have a lot of time for the commissioner of the environment and for the AG. The work that they do is very straightforward.
I have to say I'm not surprised. I have sat in this committee and heard again and again from the Liberal side that we shouldn't be doing the work that other committees are doing. This is almost identical, word for word, to a motion that's been dropped in the environment committee.
I'm shocked, but not surprised. We have been lectured by the Liberals about how public accounts is a committee built on consensus and not a political one. This is clearly one geared toward attacking the province of Alberta. I have nothing to say to defend the Alberta Energy Regulator. If the report should be done, then we should open and expand it entirely for the environment commissioner to go at it 100%.
I don't think it's the role of this committee to be criticizing, attacking or calling out provincial regulators. I'm sure there are lots, whether it's the city of Montreal dumping raw sewage, or the city of Victoria. This committee doesn't attack those or study those things.
It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that the government is playing this game.
Again, on recommendation number five...full on. If they want to do it, I'd love to see more reports from the environment side of the Auditor General, and certainly addressing the issue of clean drinking water.
The Macdonald-Laurier Institute put out an amazing report on the issue, and I think Mr. Desjarlais read it. There are a lot of pragmatic things, and maybe we'll get some pragmatic answers out of it. If the energy regulator has dropped the ball, 100%, we should address that.
Maybe in the end, having number five done.... How it has come about is very disappointing. I can imagine committees now attacking Alberta, perhaps now attacking Quebec on Bill 21 or attacking B.C. on this. For us to devolve into such pettiness is, I think, unfortunate.
The numbers are obviously here to support this motion. I think it's, again, number five and having that study. Maybe we should talk about having the recommendation expand this study for other provinces or other issues around it, not just the one, because I'm sure there are more safe drinking water issues than just the Alberta issue. Maybe it should be—