—now mayor of the new city of Lévis—whom I would like to greet in passing—which makes up 95% of my riding.
Sometimes the agricultural sector is said to have reservations about this, because they need pesticides, and I believe the bill allows for this. It is not about getting rid of, or restricting them altogether. Once again, caution must serve as our guide.
On the subject of new cities, my area is now an urban area, with the exception of the municipality of Saint-Henri. In urban areas, is it really necessary, in terms of aesthetics, to use so many pesticides on lawns?
I remember when I was in charge of parks and recreation in Saint-Nicolas, there was a contest for cities and towns in bloom.
I do, in fact, support ornamental horticulture. I support beautifying cities, but at the same time, one has to weigh beautiful lawns against the health of children and the public. I may be a golfer, but I do not believe we should sacrifice our health for beautifully green golf courses. Some may criticize me, saying that I am forgetting certain allies.
I take this issue seriously. As legislators, when an important issue is raised, we must rise above purely electoral considerations. Yes, we must consider opposite views, but we must also return to real values and principles.
In my opinion, two very important values frame this bill. First, there is the environment and why we want it to be healthy. This is first and foremost for the health and survival of planet Earth. Yes, we are talking about lawn pesticides. I do not remember who wrote this, but there is a saying. Think globally, act locally. We have to make our contribution to the environment. Every action, however small it may be, is important.
In an urban setting, there is an analogy to the situation with the recycling of paper, plastics and other materials. This is very important. During the Montreal municipal election campaign, some candidates got in trouble for not complying with the recycling bylaws. This is kind of the same situation. Everyone must make an effort. If we recycle,and if we are careful about pesticides, we are contributing to a better environment and a sustainable environment. We are helping to leave a clean environment for future generations.
As far as health is concerned, we know how costly this is to society. I do not want to get into unsubstantiated claims, but it is a cause of considerable concern that so many people have cancer or other serious conditions. I am not saying that there is a link with pesticides, but neither has it been proven that certain pesticides do not play a role.
