Mr. Speaker, last week the Quebec government introduced a plan to cut $246 million from its environment budget, partly through allowing polluting industries to police themselves.
The Alberta government is also in the process of reducing the budget of its environment department by $164 million and 1,360 jobs by the year 1999.
Not to be outdone, the Ontario government has cut its ministry of the environment and energy budget by one-third, eliminating 752 staff and has also reduced the staff of the ministry of natural resources by 2,150 people.
In light of these actions, Canadians are more than ever looking to the federal government to ensure high standards of protection for their water quality, their air quality and their soil quality.