Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is correct that the government through its throne speech made a very determined effort to make the introduction of the endangered species legislation a priority. We make no apologies for that.
This issue is not one which should be posed as being of federal-provincial jurisdiction. Rather, in addition to federal legislation, there should be a determination across the country to have a national framework in place so that those endangered species as well as their habitats may be protected and that the federal-provincial jurisdiction take second seat. Of all the issues the public responds to in my ministry, this is the one issue which elicits the strongest and most emotional response by adults and young children alike.