Mr. Speaker, I agree with a number of the points made by the hon. member. About six years ago when I was a councillor for the region of Waterloo there was an outbreak of cryptosporidium. It is not a pleasant thing to go through. Fortunately for us we had an alternate water supply and other ways of coping. However it was nothing like what the people of Saskatchewan are going through and what the people of Walkerton went through.
This is a very important motion, one of great concern to Canadians. It behoves us as parliamentarians to review the things Health Canada has been doing in this area in terms of setting out guidelines and publications, researching the effects of water on human health, and looking at different treatment additives and devices.
People are looking into the issue in a meaningful way, especially the people at Health Canada. Can we do more? We can always do more on such an important health related issue. In budget 2000 the government committed $2.65 billion over the next six years to infrastructure, green projects and other things commensurate with what we are talking about today.
I was interested in the member's comments on jurisdiction. There are always sensitivities relating to federal, provincial and territorial discussions. There are sensitivities when it comes to who is doing the work and who is mandated to do it.
I would like to hear the member explain a little more how he thinks the process could and should work. Perhaps he could use Quebec, his home province, as an example and explain how best to make sure jurisdictional squabbles vis-à-vis water supply are set aside in this case in the best interest of Canadians wherever they live in this great country. I would be interested in the member's opinion on that.