Mr. Speaker, the investigation into the Jasper wildfire has exposed shocking negligence by the radical environment minister.
Since 2017, forester Ken Hodges had warned that if deadwood was not removed, Jasper would burn. His warnings were ignored. He testified that what little was done was “insignificant and poorly thought out”.
We have also learned that senior officials discussed cancelling prescribed burns for political optics. It was reported that firefighters and fire trucks were turned away at the gates while Jasper Park burned. Also, fire hydrants did not match those used anywhere else in Alberta, making firefighting even harder.
The Alberta government's response was delayed by federal bureaucracy when every minute counted. With a third of the town destroyed, 2,000 people left homeless and nearly a billion dollars in damage, this devastation is a direct result of the minister's failure to protect the people and the town of Jasper.