Mr. Speaker, with 20% of the world's fresh water, including two million lakes and rivers, Canada has a great responsibility to manage its water sustainably and ensure that it will be available for generations to come. The Canada water agency can play a key role in keeping our water safe, clean and resilient to the impacts of climate change.
It is critical that a Canada water agency is developed in close collaboration with the provinces, territories, indigenous peoples, stakeholder organizations and the public. Together, these consultations will help us define the role and the mandate of the Canada water agency, and I look forward to sharing our next steps on this important initiative in the near future.