Thank you, senator, for that question.

Last fall, Canadians saw the severe impact that extreme weather can have on our society, infrastructure and economy. I was there, on the ground, to see first-hand the work being done by crews and communities. We went into action very quickly. We brought together the private sector, governments and Indigenous leaders in order to work quickly to address these issues and immediately offer relief to Canadians who were impacted by this. Our government provided financial support to the Province of British Columbia, and we’ve been working continuously, as we learn from the impact, to build back better. Climate change is no longer an academic, intellectual exercise, or debate, that people feel is distant from their lives. People now know that climate change is not only real but here today.

Let me also say how grateful I am for the cooperation that all stakeholders — the private sector, the provincial government and Indigenous leaders — demonstrated at the time. However, we cannot lose sight of the important tasks at hand: combatting climate change, as well as adaptation and mitigation.

We are committed to this work, senator, and I welcome your advice and input on what else we can do together.