Mr. Speaker, when we commenced on the election campaign at the beginning of September and when we went door-to-door, one thing Canadians told us, and very vocally, was the fact that they were concerned about oil and gas prices. The concern at the time, of course, was that the prices were so high and people wondered how they could afford to put gas in their cars.
As we went along in the election, it became clear that with the expected downturn, the economic global uncertainty and with gas prices going down, the volatility of the issue was of concern to Canadians.
Our government strongly believes we need to secure our energy future in order to ensure we have long-term economic growth. We take our responsibility as an emerging super-power in energy very seriously.
In the Speech from the Throne we laid out our intention to ensure that 90% of Canada's electricity would be produced by non-emitting sources such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power by 2020. We know we need to meet the challenges associated with climate change.
In the Speech from the Throne we also laid out our commitment to ensure that Canada's regulatory framework would be ready to respond should the provinces choose to advance new nuclear projects.
We are looking at the electricity situation. More specifically, we are also taking a look at ensuring our vast natural energy resources keep providing an important source of wealth and jobs for Canadians.
As well, it is important to note that protecting Canadian consumers is a top priority of the government.