Mr. Speaker, I was listening as usual to my colleague from Laurentides who was speaking as usual about duplication and overlapping. I do not know what she would do if these words were not in her vocabulary.
During her speech, she asked quite a surprising question when she wanted to know what the federal government was doing in this. I wonder, at times, if we are living on the same planet. She also talked about centralizing federalism. In the most decentralized federal state in the world, perhaps she should have a little talk with the German minister of the environment or with the director of the American EPA and learn about how things are done in federal states.
In fact, as I said the other day, perhaps we will have to remind her once again that the Supreme Court said that the federal government not only has the right to intervene in the environment and in environmental assessments, but also has a strict duty to do so for all Canadians. I will remind her once again that the federal government is responsible for navigable waters, for all navigable waters whether they are in Quebec, New Brunswick or British Columbia.
It is responsible for fisheries throughout the territory and for all coastal areas, whether in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, British Columbia or the Arctic. All federal lands and all federal buildings in Canada are under federal jurisdiction.
The federal government also has a fiduciary responsibility for native peoples and thus for all the lands where native people live and have rights. It is responsible for the national harbours and ports, airports, the St. Lawrence Seaway, interprovincial and international trade and international agreements.
What is so unusual for a government with national responsibilities to pass a law on environmental assessments for whatever comes under its jurisdiction?
In fact, this law was written when the opposition leader was Minister of the Environment and now, people will try anything to demonstrate that it is different. But basically the law is exactly the same as it was initially.