Mr. Speaker, today is World Oceans Day. Oceans regulate our climate, produce half the oxygen we breathe, fuel the water cycle, and provide nourishment for nearly three billion people, and yet our oceans are increasingly under threat from rising temperatures, acidification, and pollution.
In this regard, I am very proud of two institutions at the University of Victoria that are making a real difference. Ocean Networks Canada monitors all three of Canada's oceans and provides vital data for scientific research, and the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria has recently made superb recommendations on how to tackle plastics in our oceans.
My community of Victoria is surrounded by oceans on three sides. It is deeply concerned about the risk of a devastating bitumen spill that might result from Kinder Morgan's pipeline and tanker project, which the Liberals just purchased with our tax dollars.
Canada's coastline is the longest in the world. Today especially, on World Oceans Day, let us commit to protecting it and Canada's oceans.