Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member who spoke before me, the member for Edmonton—Strathcona. She gave a wonderful overview of Bill S-15. I am pleased to rise in the House to speak to this Senate bill.
We know that in 2011 the federal government and the provincial NDP government negotiated an agreement to make Sable Island a national park. Bill S-15 was drafted as a result of that agreement.
Basically, Bill S-15 proposes that Sable Island become a national park reserve. It should be noted that unlike a national park, which does not allow for aboriginal land claims within the park area, a national park reserve designation allows the government to continue land claim negotiations.
That detail is very important here because the Mi'kmaq people of Nova Scotia are currently asserting ancestral rights to the island.
We must acknowledge the presence of first nations on the territory now known as Canada. As my colleague for Edmonton—Strathcona mentioned, we need to ensure that there are proper consultations with first nations.
I hope that the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development will invite first nations to appear before the committee so they can share their views. We know that the bill's preamble is not binding. We must ensure that this bill reflects the rights of first nations when it is implemented.
All the members of the House have said that Sable Island is a place Canadians should be proud of. Canadians all across the country know of this long, narrow, crescent-shaped island in the north Atlantic, southeast of Nova Scotia, because of the wild horses that inhabit the island.
Over 190 plant species have been identified on Sable Island, and it is home to the world's largest grey seal colony in the world as well as 350 species of birds. That is why it is so important that we protect this Canadian ecological gem.
By the way, I would like to thank everyone who works at the Centre d'interprétation de la nature de Boisbriand, in my riding of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. This interpretive nature centre is a natural, wooded conservation area that covers approximately 42,500 m2 and borders the Mille-Îles river. Thanks to their efforts, our children and our children's children will be able to enjoy our flora and fauna as past generations were able to do.
I would like to commend them for their hard work in the area of conservation, since that is what we are talking about this afternoon. These people are making sure that future generations will be able to enjoy our natural resources. In my opinion, we need to consider the issue of intergenerational equality.
It is also important to mention that this Conservative government is leaving an ecological debt for future generations. We know that the federal government sabotaged parks by making cuts to national parks last year. For example, the government made $29 million in cuts to the parks' budget last year, and over 600 biologist and park interpreter jobs were lost.
These people will no longer be available in our national parks to share their ecological and scientific knowledge with Canadians across the country. We know that, in some cases, park interpreters are being replaced with interpretive signs.
We also know that the Prime Minister's Conservatives committed to meeting the conservation targets set out in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. However, they are not doing so.
Unfortunately, Canada is protecting only 10% of its land area and 1% of its waters. The Conservatives do not have a very good track record in this regard. I think that future generations will inherit this debt from this backward-thinking Conservative government.
What is more, the Conservative government has eliminated major environmental protection measures in Canada. Take for example the elimination of 98% of federal environmental assessments, the elimination of 98% of the measures to protect Canada's navigable waters and the elimination of measures to protect most fish habitats.
I was very sad to learn that the environment museum located in the Montreal Biosphere would open its doors for the last time this summer. In July 2012, the Conservative government made significant cuts to the Biosphere. Now, most of the staff is being cut.
We recently learned that Environment Canada has unilaterally decided to review the mandate of the environment museum, which will not survive if it no longer has any staff. The people who are being targeted are museum professionals, educators, guides, designers and technicians.
If the Conservative government really cared about sharing scientific and technical knowledge with the public, it would not have made these drastic cuts to our parks and museums, which are our country's true treasures.
That being said, I support the bill at second reading because it seeks to protect the history and beauty of Sept-Îles. I applaud the work done by the environmental groups who have joined forces to protect Sept-Îles.
As I said, I will be supporting this bill at second reading. However, I must say that the wording of this bill does raise some concerns. As my colleagues have already mentioned, the bill prohibits drilling within one nautical mile of the island, as well as drilling on the island's surface. However, in exceptional circumstances, exploration activities will be allowed on the island, which is a first in any national park. These exploration activities will be limited to those with a low impact on the environment. However, the bill fails to clearly define those exploration activities. I believe that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment needs to have a closer look at this issue in order to clearly define the term “low impact” and clearly define the exploration activities that will be allowed under this provision.
As it stands, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board will have to consult with Parks Canada before issuing licences for petroleum-related activities. The board would have the discretionary power to include in the terms and conditions any mitigation or remedial measures that the company must take.
I hope the Standing Committee on Environment will invite many experts in order to properly examine the bill. Having been a member of the Standing Committee on Environment, I have witnessed first-hand this government's unbalanced approach to conservation. The government muzzles Canadian scientists and refuses to listen to experts or scientists who work on conservation.
Throughout this parliamentary session, Conservative members who sit on the various committees have refused to adopt the amendments proposed by opposition members, even though those amendments were based on testimony from experts and reliable information gathered in committee. The goal of such amendments is always to improve bills and make them better, including through public consultation. For once I hope the government members will accept the amendments proposed in committee by opposition members, who work very hard on the committee.
I now look forward to questions from my hon. colleagues.