Mr. Speaker, I would like to issue a progress report on a matter of vital importance for my riding as well as for Quebec and Eastern Canada. I am talking about the Irving Whale , the tanker which has been lying on the bottom of the Gulf of St. Lawrence for over 20 years.
Having said that, I wish to inform the residents of the Magdalen Islands that a final decision is forthcoming. The diligence of the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Transport as well as the efforts of my colleague from Malpèque have made it possible to accomplish this much in such a short period of time.
I want to reassure the people of the Magdalen Islands: the Irving Whale 's tanks were inspected and there are no leaks.
I wish to state here today that we are the ones who will see to it that the matter of the Irving Whale is settled, not the present leader of the opposition who never even looked into the matter when he was himself Minister of the Environment.