Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her work in this area and her obvious deep knowledge with respect to the issues that she raises.
Let me say, to start, that our government takes environmental enforcement very seriously and, in a broader context, it intends to address the negative impacts that were caused by the Conservative government's devaluation of environmental responsibilities over the last 10 years.
Behind closed doors, the previous government cut $255 million over four years from Environment Canada and Climate Change in a deliberate attempt to undermine the capacity of our officials to protect the environment, to enforce the law, and to provide industry with the tools that it needs to grow the economy in a sustainable manner.
Rather than being up front about the depth and the impact of the cuts, the previous government decided to hide this information, which is something it did in many other areas of government as well.
If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a government that trusts them.
Unlike the previous government, we are committed to supporting enforcement personnel, whom we rely upon to tackle non-compliance with environmental laws, and will hold offenders to account.
Unlike the previous government, we will not engage in the reckless budget cuts to government programs that destroyed many of the services Canadians need.
This brings me to the heart of the matter that is raised by the hon. member, the essential services provided by environmental enforcement officers.
Environment and Climate Change Canada's enforcement officers have a broad range of powers that they use to identify violations of environmental laws. The head of Environment Canada's enforcement branch has revealed in no uncertain terms the previous government's negligence in the context of the enforcement of environmental law.
Since 1999, federal public servants in 93 departments and agencies, including those in Environment and Climate Change Canada, have participated in a survey that is conducted every three years to gather employees' perspectives on their workplace.
What the hon. member references in her question is a report prepared by Environment and Climate Change Canada's chief enforcement officer, in which he acknowledged concerns raised by some of his personnel in the 2014 survey. These concerns reflect the oppressive culture produced by the previous government and serve as a reminder of its neglect of Environment and Climate Change Canada's enforcement branch.
After consulting enforcement staff, the chief enforcement officer has laid out an action plan to demonstrate a commitment on the part of senior management to foster dialogue with employees.
Our government values the tremendous contributions of our enforcement officers. Addressing their concerns through open and transparent dialogue will benefit the department, all Canadians, and the environment.
Our government has always emphasized that a positive and productive relationship with public servants is a priority. Our commitment to transparency will ensure that the concerns of public servants are heard so that any issues can be tackled.
Our government is committed to enforcing environmental laws and will continue to seek input from enforcement officers and senior management on how best to ensure that they have what they need to successfully execute their mandate. We are currently in the process of assessing current resources and capabilities in order to do just that.
Going forward, we will work to ensure that Environment and Climate Change Canada has the capacity and the will to hold offenders of environmental law to account.