Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to offer my appreciation to my colleagues who have taken the time out this evening to speak to something that I feel is a critical and significant issue for the federal government to deal with. To the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment I offer my sincere appreciation not just for tonight but for the information that she has shared back and forth with me over the past number of weeks.
I made some notes as I was listening to the presenters from the various parties this evening. The fact of the matter is that we all want the same desired result. It is just that the means appear to be somewhat different.
There was some talk of constitutionality and whether it would be upheld. When I started out on this process with my private member's bill, one of the first things I did was forward it to the House legal advisers for their opinion. They gave it a thumbs up from a constitutionality standpoint if in fact there were any challenges.
With respect to a couple of my colleagues passing responsibility down to provincial ministries or regional governments, I would not and could not support that. I believe the environment is a federal responsibility. Whether it be through regulatory process or through education and buy-in programs, the environment is a responsibility for all Canadians and not simply one sector within the country. To detract from that we would in turn be doing a disservice to the various regions in the country that did not identify this as a necessary priority.
One of the things I found as I was chatting with constituents in my riding, as well as from the phone calls I received, was that it was difficult for people to appreciate the size and scope of the problem because they are so small. As they hold a half a dozen split-shots or bell sinkers in their hand they ask what is the big deal. As many of my well informed colleagues have identified this evening, we are talking about 500 tonnes per year.
I was doing some quick math and thinking to myself how best to describe it other than stating that we would have to line up 2,000 half ton trucks in a row, loaded to capacity, in order to accommodate the amount of lead sinkers and jigs that are dumped into Canadian waters and rivers every year. That is the best example to typify the problem we are dealing with and the type of buy-in.
There has been concern from my Conservative colleague as to which particular section or ministry should be enforcing this endeavour. Once again I bow to the Minister of Environment and suggest that this is within her purview and not necessarily that of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
Regardless of what enforcement regime we put in place, the eventual elimination of lead sinkers and jigs in Canadian waters can only be successful if we have Canadians buying into it. All the regulations, all the authorities, everything we put in place can only be successful if we embark on a good education program, if we have good fact based research in place and we concentrate our efforts.
It is my hope that tonight's debate and the sharing of information, as well as the work that has been done over the past several months, will only heighten the level of awareness on this issue.
I am proud to have the opportunity as the member of parliament for Simcoe—Grey to bring forward an initiative that two people within in my riding started four or five years ago. It gives me an overwhelming sense of pride to be able to share a message with all Canadians that one or two people can make a difference. If people have concerns regarding the environment or any other matter, they should bring them forward because there is an opportunity to make change.
I am convinced that through the commitment of the Ministry of Environment, the Minister of Environment, the parliamentary secretary and all other parties that have spoken this evening that there is a common desire and goal. I have no doubt in my mind that whether it is in the short or the long term lead sinkers and jigs will be eliminated from Canadian waters.