Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to rise in the House and present a petition on behalf of the residents of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, who recognize that the federal Minister of Environment and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans have a renewed mandate to increase the protection of Canada's marine and coastal areas. They also recognize that the establishment of a national marine conservation area in the Strait of Georgia was needed to protect that marine environment.
The petitioners therefore call upon the Government of Canada to establish a national marine conservation area in the Salish Sea, and to consult and work with first nations to ensure we leave this legacy for our children.