Mr. Speaker, conserving the wildlife heritage is a real concern to this government. I am, therefore, happy to return to the item raised by the independent member from Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques last April 14 concerning the Pointe-au-Père National Wildlife Area.
The Pointe-au-Père National Wildlife Area, located on the outskirts of the city of Rimouski, is a popular destination and it is a source of pride for all residents in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. It is also under a great deal of stress from human presence and we are, therefore, giving it very special attention.
The government has accepted the commissioner's report and is committed to taking the action that the previous Liberal government failed to take. Many of these problems were flagged under the Liberals years ago. What did they do? They did absolutely nothing.
Our government is clearly taking action where the former Liberals fell short. In the 2007 budget, our government announced a 50% increase in funding to enforce environmental legislation, which amounts to 105 additional officers across Canada, including 38 specifically assigned to wildlife conservation legislation. In particular, this funding will enhance monitoring activities within Environment Canada's protected areas network.
Canada has tough environmental regulations, the toughest in Canadian history. However, regulations mean nothing to polluters in the absence of a strong team of environmental enforcement officers. This government is committed to protecting and preserving our fragile lands.
Our environmental officers regularly visit the national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries to ensure the regulations are being upheld.
To answer the concerns raised by the member today, officers visited the Pointe-au-Père National Wildlife Area on April 16 and corrective action will be taken.
It is through the strong leadership of the Prime Minister and the environment minister that we are getting things done and ensuring that our environment remains clean, safe and protected. It will take time to clean up the legacy of Liberal mismanagement on federal protected areas but we are taking action with real dollars, moving forward and getting the job done.
I look forward to the member's support. We need to work together and hopefully she will support the commitments that this government has made and the real dollars that we are putting into protecting these sensitive areas.