OTTAWA — Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner is calling for increased federal action to combat the severe forest fires affecting Canada. During a press conference on Wednesday, the Alberta MP criticized the federal government for what she described as “inaction” regarding wildfire management.

Rempel Garner's comments come as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have implemented bans on hiking, fishing, camping, and vehicle use in their forests due to heightened wildfire risks. She attributed these restrictions to the federal government's lack of proactive measures, despite the bans being enacted by the provinces themselves.

While acknowledging the concerns of residents in the Maritimes, Rempel Garner stated that limiting people's movements is “not right.” She expressed frustration, saying, “Whenever there’s a major crisis, what the Liberal government has done by their inaction has conditioned Canadians to expect that the only response they can see out of their federal government is to restrict their movement.”

Rempel Garner is urging the federal government to take the wildfire crisis seriously. She highlighted a previous bill introduced by Conservative MP Marc Dalton, which aimed to increase penalties for wildfires caused by arson. That bill did not progress past its first reading and was effectively shelved when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the recent election.

The MP also called for more resources to be allocated for wildfire control. In the 2021 election platform, the Liberal Party promised to train 1,000 community-based firefighters and collaborate with provinces and territories to enhance firefighting capabilities, including acquiring more firefighting aircraft.

Recently, Ontario Premier Doug Ford noted that the Alberta-based water bomber manufacturer De Havilland is facing a four-year backlog of orders for firefighting planes. Rempel Garner questioned the government's commitment, stating, “Four full wildfire seasons ago, the Liberals promised more water bombers, more firefighters. Where are they?”

In response to the criticism regarding the forest entry bans, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston defended the measures. He remarked, “I find it remarkable, the interest in travelling in Nova Scotia woods by people who aren’t in Nova Scotia and probably haven’t been here much in their life. We’re only concerned with keeping people safe. We’ll do what’s necessary to protect lives, and that’s what we’re doing in this case.”

As of now, the area affected by wildfires across Canada this season is nearly equivalent to the entire size of New Brunswick.