Mr. Speaker, Helen Point on Mayne Island is a postcard of British Columbia's natural beauty. It is viewed by millions of ferry passengers travelling through Active Pass.
Today Helen Point is being logged. This situation could have been avoided if it were not for the complete inaction of not one, not two, but three federal cabinet ministers.
The Minister of the Environment refuses to intervene. The Minister of Canadian Heritage referred to the Gulf Islands as “the jewel of Canada”. Completely out of character, she then fell silent. The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development promised on November 18 that there would be no logging until all requirements had been met, this two weeks after he had already issued the permit.
The local Islands Trust stated that this situation “requires jurisdictional leadership of the Government of Canada”. I could not agree more. There is considerable goodwill on all sides, if only the government would investigate alternatives. Unfortunately the only finger the government lifted for British Columbia was the middle—