Madam Speaker, we learn something new every day. I understood that there is an exemption to the rule on props if we are actually speaking to a document and holding it in our hand for reference. I thought that was acceptable, but perhaps we had better check the rules.
The document has very little in it, despite its bulk, and there is almost nothing new. There is a pittance on housing and less than a pittance on climate. There is recognition for the first time, which is good, that there should be some transparency rules around climate finance. There is a suggestion that the government is going to work with the insurance industry, there is an idea, to try to get flood insurance for Canadians in flood plains and to keep them out of “harm's way”.
That is not going to be a solution to the galloping climate crisis and the number of Canadians whose life and limb are at risk from the variety of climate crises that are upon us, whether they are extreme flooding events; atmospheric rivers; heat domes such as the one that killed 619 British Columbians in four days in the summer of 2021; extreme events like hurricane Fiona or the derechos that devastated parts of Ottawa, storms that we did not even know had names; or increased tornadoes, floods, droughts or extreme weather events of all kinds.
However, very little is said for Canadians to make us feel safer in our homes or to make us think that the government understands what the crisis really looks like when we live through it. We live through more all the time. Wildfire events are extremely bad for our health. It is extremely hard to have to breathe the smoke from fires that come at all times of the year.
While the fall economic statement in its substance was extremely disappointing, the way in which it was dropped on us, with the lack of accountability for fiscal promises made and broken, is a low ebb for the Government of Canada. I wish the best to the new minister of finance. I hope someone will take responsibility.
Accountability is sorely lacking in all corners of our institutions, across Canada and into provinces. We need to take responsibility for our actions, be accountable, say when we have made a mistake and be honest with Canadians about how we plan to do better and what we plan to do.
It is not enough to have rhyming slogans. We need policies and programs, and we need to be serious about the work at hand, because Canadians are serious, honest, hard-working people, and they need to know that their members of Parliament are working for them, not just to prop up one colour-coded team against another.