Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the hon. member for The Battlefords-Meadow Lake for his close interest in the CEPA review. He worked on the committee during the CEPA review. He has shown a continuing interest in it throughout the committee's deliberations and after the report was issued. It is very commendable that he has brought up this issue so that Canadians will be aware of the status of the government's response.
I am sorry the response is late. The minister is in Vienna at the ozone layer convention, which occasioned a further delay. However, the response will be ready extremely soon.
I can assure my colleague that the response will reflect, very honourably, on the recommendations and the thrust of the report of
the standing committee and all the principles which have been put forward by the committee. The main program of the committee, as suggested in the report, will be reflected in the response.
I can assure the member that the Minister of Industry, whose law promotes sustainable development, is very much on side in co-operating with the Minister of the Environment to ensure that the report reflects what is the preoccupation of Canadians toward sustainable development and the integration of the economy and the environment, including pollution prevention.