Mr. Speaker, yesterday the environment commissioner warned of a major environmental health crisis over government mishandling of pesticides. The government has ignored the commissioner's call for an overhaul of the way pesticides are handled in this country, an appeal that she has made four times since 1993.
The Liberal government has failed to ensure that current pesticides meet basic standards. It has only re-evaluated 2% of the current pesticides, leaving well over 400 that need to be addressed. In each case the pesticides that have been reviewed either have been pulled off the market or have had further restrictions added to them. What is more, the government is irresponsibly registering over 50% of all new pesticides with temporary permits, skipping critical steps in their evaluation.
The Prime Minister is leaving a toxic legacy that he should be very ashamed of. His legacy will not be one of protecting the health and safety and the environment of Canadians.