Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Earth Day 2016 and talk about responsible resource development, but first I would like to wish a happy belated birthday to my 8-year-old daughter, Sarah. She is the apple of my eye, and yesterday was her eighth birthday.
A clean environment and a strong economy do go hand in hand. Proper oversight, a robust consultation process, and protection of the environment are crucial to successful natural resource development projects, such as the energy east pipeline and the Sisson Partnership mining project, which is in my riding.
It is necessary to ensure sustainable, safe, and responsible resource development, as we need to ensure we use this earth in our interests and in the best interests of our children and leave a legacy for future generations, the generations of my daughter Sarah and her children.
Earth Day should be every day. As the indigenous American proverb states, “We do not inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”