Madam Speaker, the Minister of the Environment has launched an extensive consultation process for this review.
National public consultations began on January 31 in Ottawa and will continue for several weeks in 19 cities across Canada. They will provide members of the public and interested stakeholders with an opportunity to provide their views on how environmental assessment and the act can be improved.
The minister also has an interactive website which will allow the minister to reach out to rural Canadians and others who may not be able to attend the public meetings. At the same time, parallel consultations are taking place with aboriginal peoples, the provinces, the regulatory advisory committee and with other federal departments.
The Minister of the Environment is committed to a timely, effective review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. He has launched an extensive, multifaceted consultation process that will provide valuable input on how environmental assessment can be improved in Canada.
The minister looks forward to sharing the results of the review and the views of Canadians on how the act can be improved with his hon. colleagues in his report to parliament at the end of this year.