Mr. Speaker, my question based on fact is for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Environment.
On January 24 the minister told the House that the decision to locate the NAFTA environmental secretariat would be public and transparent throughout and that the decision would be made free of politics based on an independent consultant's report of the competing bids.
The minister said that for the first time in the history of government the decision would be based on the environmental record of the competing cities. When the minister announced that Montreal was to be the site of the secretariat, the minister admitted the decision was political.
When the government made the political decision to locate the environmental secretariat in Montreal, was the minister aware that of the competing cities Montreal has about the worst environmental record? Therefore, based on the minister's own words will the minister reconsider her decision?