Many of the Group 1 standards are being developed with other Canadian governments through either the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment or a federal-provincial working group. We have gained a deep understanding of the causes and effects of smog. We know about the relative contributions of vehicles, industry and cross-border emissions. Advanced technologies have been introduced to address smog-causing emissions, in the form of cleaner cars, cleaner industrial processes and so on. The public is very aware of these developments.
People understand the relationship between smog and their health.
They're demanding action to improve their quality of life. At the same time, government's have been grappling with a number of decisions. Ontario's Smog Plan, introduced in January 1998, was a real landmark in that it brought together a wide cross-section of Ontario industries and organizations to reduce their contributions to the smog problem. The centrepiece was the Smog Accord, under which 44 organizations the number has since grown signalled their intent to reduce smog-causing emissions. Since becoming minister, I've made a few suggestions for improving the plan, beginning with the name.