Mr. Speaker, my colleague seems to have gone through the estimates in a wide range. I will make a small correction. Port Rupert does not exist. The funding for the Port of Prince Rupert was provided by the previous government with much insistence from this corner. I am not sure if the Conservative government is trying to take credit for the money but that is what governments do.
This brings me to my point around the environmental spending my colleague talked about. The government, by its own admission, misunderstood and much underplayed the issue of the environment for Canadians. We were slightly surprised by the vehemence of the reaction from the Canadian public when the government did not come forward with more progressive ideas. The government dragged its feet on greenhouse gases and spent most of its first 12 months blaming the previous regime's performance.
We initially did not have a problem with this because we in the NDP have consistently said that the previous government was not performing well when it came to climate change, but yet offered the Conservative government no excuse. Previous Liberal failures do not condone present Conservative failures when it comes to greenhouse gases.
The member talked about the ecotrust funding. It is just by coincidence that today department officials were in front of committee. We asked them if the money had been spent because the minister had stood in his place and said the money had gone out the door. He said the cheques were not just signed, not just in the mail, but they had been cashed. However, when we checked with the provinces, no one had seen any of the money. There seems to be an enormous discrepancy here. The minister is taking much credit for all these environmental initiatives when the money has not gone out the door.
There is not a single string attached to this money so that it will actually lead to reductions in greenhouse gases, further continuing Canada's deplorable record on greenhouse gas emissions and delaying action from other countries.
Before the government actually takes credit for programs and spending on initiatives, it seems to me that it would be wise that it actually spend the money. When those members were in opposition, I know they were paying attention to the Liberal government's tendency to re-spend and re-announce and re-announce until it was beating a dead horse, but I would resist the temptation if I were that member.
It seems to me that Canadians need to know what has happened. The environmental initiatives and the ecotrust funding have not happened. The money has not been spent. The money has not been delivered. The provinces have not seen it.
I wonder if my colleague could take this opportunity to clarify the record. I know he does not wish to mislead Canadians or those who are watching, but I wonder if he would like to correct the record here in the House to ensure we actually understand what is afoot.