Madam Chair, is it indeed a great pleasure that I rise this evening to participate in this take note debate on the mountain pine beetle crisis. This is a debate that is long overdue.
Since 1993 the province of British Columbia has been waging its latest battle against this destructive pest. I have had a very up close and personal look at the devastating path this outbreak has taken. In my constituency of Prince George—Peace River, I did not have to go very far to see the telltale red of the pine stands hit by the mountain pine beetle.