Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Motion No. 7 which the Bloc has put forward. This amendment would include more people in making the decisions that affect their lives.
We in this House often forget when governing this country that we have to be more inclusive. We have to include people who are affected by decisions taken by government. We have to include more people whose environment is affected by decisions of either the provincial or federal government, for example, to establish a nuclear facility or to have a nuclear mine in their communities. We have to include these people because they are the ones who live nearby; they are the ones who have experience with the impact of these facilities on their environment.
Therefore, Motion No. 7, put forward by the Bloc, will provide some transparency in the commission's activities. It will also protect those who are affected on the front lines. The NDP will support this and I hope the government will consider this kind of amendment favourably. I know it is always open to suggestions that
are positive in nature, and this is one that is very positive. It has a lot of support across the country.
Saskatchewan's environmental review system is very transparent when it comes to reviewing the environmental implications of mining. It works very well in Saskatchewan as it includes those people who would otherwise be excluded. If the bill is passed unamended, in respect of motion No. 7, it will continue to exclude a lot of Canadians whose lives are very severely impacted by nuclear development.