Mr. Speaker, today the hearings on the Irving Whale open in Charlottetown.
These hearings could not have happened without the combined efforts of the population of les Iles-de-la-Madeleine and P.E.I., and the Minister of Transport. In addition, I wish to single out my colleague, the hon. member for Malpeque, who played a pivotal role in bringing about today's hearings.
Mr. Speaker, we will finally eliminate the environmental threat represented by the Irving Whale . There is no doubt that the Gagnon-Easter committee played a major role in the decision to refloat that wreck. I want to tell this House that before taking action we consulted the public and listened carefully to the representations made, as is the custom with our government.
In conclusion, I thank the residents of the Magdalen Islands, as well as Prince Edward Island, for supporting the Gagnon-Easter committee in its efforts to solve the Irving Whale issue. This should be a lesson for the opposition.