Mr. Speaker, I always thought that political action should be prompted by a firm desire to improve things in the world around one, a firm desire to make a better future for generations to come. The environment is certainly one area where we can act now to improve living conditions for future generations.
The Liberal government understood this, and that is why it introduced a host of programs to fight climate change. That is also why it always played a leading role in environmental issues on the international scene, earning recognition and praise around the world.
But all that is changing today. Why? Because the Conservatives have decided to abandon the Kyoto protocol. They have decided to abandon the fight against climate change. In fact, they have abandoned the environment.
This is a sad time in our history, because in abandoning all that, they are doing serious damage to Canada's image. More importantly, they are undermining future generations, and as long as there is hope—