Under the previous Liberal government, the concerns of the people of the north were ignored when it came to jobs, the economy and our environment and park system. The Liberal government focused on the concerns of the big cities, while northern families felt ignored in their own province.

As part of Liberal budget cuts, many of our northern provincial parks faced staff, service and program reductions. These decisions led to job losses, program cancellations and the removal of overnight camping services. These actions were disrespectful to all people of the north and diminished the value of our parks system.

Speaker, can the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks please explain how our government will protect and strengthen our northern park system?