Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise this evening and lend my support to the important motion put forward by my hon. colleague from Cariboo--Chilcotin. I will say at the outset that although it is a pleasure for me to lend my colleague my support, I think he would agree that it is unfortunate that it takes a motion in private members' business to try to prompt the government into some type of action on this epidemic that British Columbia is facing, this natural disaster, as he has so eloquently explained to the government opposite.
It is an issue that is not new. It has not suddenly been sprung upon the government. It is something like the softwood lumber agreement. That had a five year expiry date and yet it seemed like the government did not want to address until it was past the expiry date. It did not want to recognize that the agreement would end at some point and we would be faced with unfair trade sanctions from the United States of America.
Likewise with the mountain pine beetle epidemic in British Columbia, there is an unwillingness on the part of the federal government to step up to the line and shoulder its share of the responsibility in addressing this natural disaster facing our province. Unfortunately it is just a continuation of the “don't care, don't give a damn” attitude of the Liberal government toward the province of British Columbia. As a British Columbian, quite frankly I find it incredibly disappointing.
What does Motion No. 435 call for? It states:
That, in the opinion of this House, the government should take immediate measures to stop the infestation of British Columbia forests by the Mountain Pine Beetle by: (a) initiating eradication measures on all affected lands over which the government has control or influence; and (b) cooperating fully with the Government of British Columbia to ensure that it has the ability to control the Mountain Pine Beetle in all areas under its jurisdiction.
As my hon. colleague said, he intends to ask for unanimous consent to put it to a vote. I strongly suspect that the Liberal members present will not allow that. They seem to have something against private members' business, as we saw last week. They seem to have something against having votes on private members' motions and business.
Quite frankly, I found the comments of the hon. member for Richmond just appalling for someone who professes to be a representative from British Columbia for goodness' sake. If I understood him correctly, he said he could not support the motion from the member for Cariboo--Chilcotin because beetles cannot be eradicated. He said that they will always be there.
Is this a time to nitpick about wordsmithing? I think everyone understands the intent of the motion, which is that the federal government shoulder its share of the responsibility, help out a province in need and address this very serious problem. I suggest it is second only to the softwood lumber agreement in its seriousness and in how it is affecting the economy, the welfare and lifestyles of British Columbian families.
It is an issue that I, as the representative for Prince George--Peace River, and my colleagues from Skeena, Prince George--Bulkley Valley and Cariboo--Chilcotin have raised repeatedly in the House over the last number of years through questions in question period, in members' statements and in speeches. Every time we have had the opportunity we have raised the issue. We have had lobby groups, lumber associations, forestry associations and the British Columbia government come to Ottawa to raise the issue with the Minister of Natural Resources, the Minister of Finance and the government. It has all been to no avail. It is just absolutely mind-boggling. People in British Columbia are getting fed up with the attitude of the government.
What are we asking for with the motion and lobbying of the government we have done? We are asking the government to put forward funding to address this, to take responsibility for federal lands. We are asking the government to participate in reforestation of the land once it is logged so that we have forests in the future to harvest and to enjoy.
When one sees the devastation created by the mountain pine beetle, one sees a sea of red. Quite frankly right now when I look across the House I see a sea of red, not because they are Liberals but because they refuse to accept their responsibility. They wonder and they do polling to try to figure out why they do not have any support in British Columbia and why they have only a few members of parliament there. This is the latest example of why.
I know there is not a lot of time left in this debate. I will defer to my hon. colleague from Skeena. I know how this is affecting his riding as well and how often he has raised this issue, as I have, as has our colleague from Prince George--Bulkley Valley and of course the sponsor of this motion, my colleague from Cariboo--Chilcotin. We, the four members of parliament who represent the interior and northern parts of British Columbia, have raised this issue time and time again. I know the hon. member for Skeena has a few comments, so I will sit down and listen attentively to what he has to say.