Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on a question I asked in the House quite a while ago. I would like to talk about an important environmental issue: endangered species.
I asked the Minister of the Environment about this several weeks ago, but the minister, who is supposed to make wise decisions about environmental issues, unfortunately did not make good decisions about endangered species. Right now, our ecosystems, our biodiversity and our endangered species are not adequately protected.
According to the minister's answer to my question, the Conservative government is very interested in protecting and preserving our rich biodiversity. She also said that she planned to take urgent measures to protect the sage grouse. This bird has been endangered for a long time. Environmental groups had to pester the government, wearing it down until it agreed to protect this endangered species. That is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the Conservatives' problems. In Canada, there are 518 endangered species. Fewer than 10 of them are protected. That means there is still a lot of work to do.
Back home, if we get less than 10 correct answers out of 500, that is not good. I have an anecdote. My daughter Ariane is very diligent. She always has to have high marks and sometimes when she gets 56 out of 60, she gets worried because she thinks that mark is not good enough. I tell her not to worry, that it is very good. However, less than 10 out of 518 is not very good. In fact, it is bad.
Unfortunately, this government is not taking a leadership role on the environment. As I was saying earlier, according to the report of Canada's Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Conservative government is currently protecting only 7 out of the 518 species on the list. That is not good. It is a failure.
I will quote a worrisome statement the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development made. Quite recently, he wrote a report on the matter and came to present it to us at the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. The Commissioner mentioned that, to deal with the challenges and meet the government's obligations under the Species at Risk Act, “it will take Environment Canada approximately 10 years to complete its backlog”.
That does not include all the other species that could eventually be put on the list in accordance with the Species at Risk Act, because of everything that is happening, such as climate change. A deputy minister criticized the minister by stating that she is not doing enough. Unfortunately, things seem to go in one ear and out the other.
I will now ask the government my question. I am pleased about the person who will be answering and I hope to have a good answer. In light of the long delays, and the fact that new measures are required in order to meet the obligations of the Species at Risk Act, what new measures will be introduced in the next few days? Why are there no measures in the current budget?