Canadians Need Proactive Leadership To Prevent Fires

Ottawa, ON - Blake Richards, Conservative Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness and Community Resilience, and William Stevenson, Conservative Member of Parliament for Yellowhead, issued the following statement in response to the Liberals' recent announcement on the Jasper National Park rebuild:

"The destruction of one-third of the Jasper townsite was a predictable tragedy, caused by failed policies rooted in an out-of-touch environmental ideology. Nearly two years after the fire that devastated this community, the federal government has only permitted rebuilds for less than a third of affected structures.

"For years, Conservatives joined forestry experts and locals to warn the Liberal government that Jasper National Park was a ticking time bomb.

"Decades of mountain pine beetle infestations left a massive tinderbox of dead standing timber on the town's doorstep. Yet the Liberals chose passive inaction, under the guise of 'reclamation', over mechanical harvesting, clearing and prescribed burns.

"As we navigate the 2026 wildfire season, Canadians cannot afford more empty optimism or announcements that only come after the damage is done. Common-sense emergency preparedness demands forward-thinking that anticipates disasters and uses active, proactive forest management to prevent them.

"A Conservative government will fix this broken system by prioritizing real readiness:

• Mandating Aggressive Fuel Reduction: Prioritizing immediate mechanical clearing and localized prescribed fires around high-risk wildland-urban interfaces.
• Fixing Broken Jurisdictional Command: Cutting through the confusion caused by bureaucratic red tape and overlapping command between Parks Canada and provincial ministries.
• Empowering Local and Indigenous Communities: Providing direct, predictable funding for localized firefighting equipment and training so remote towns do not have to wait on Ottawa's slow-moving machinery.

"Once again, Conservatives appreciate the work and bravery of firefighters who battle these blazes to protect Canadians and their property.

"These brave men and women, and the residents of Jasper and other communities threatened by wildfires, deserve a government that actively protects them before a fire starts, not one that acts once the ashes have settled.

"As the people of Jasper rebuild their homes and businesses, Conservatives are working to ensure that such disasters do not threaten lives and livelihoods again."