Mr. Speaker, how would one like to be told that one's children cannot go out for nine days to play or that one's elderly parents have to stay inside and cannot leave their home.
That was the situation in Hamilton last year where we had nine days of severe smog. This year we have already had three smog days and summer has barely begun. Hamilton is not alone. Cities like Halifax, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver are all suffering smog days too.
Studies show that more 5,000 premature deaths across Canada can be attributed to air pollution each year, but the Conservatives are ignoring this environmental crisis, refuting Canada's Kyoto obligations and pretending that global warming is not a global threat.
We need to encourage use of public transit and establish a clean car strategy. We need to find better energy sources so we can close operations like the Nanticoke coal burning plant that is responsible for so much of Hamilton's smog. We need to reinstate the popular and effective EnerGuide program that the Conservative government killed.
The people of Hamilton call upon the government to act now so that once again it is safe for our kids to go out and play.