In an apparent bid to reinforce its narrative there is a direct causal relationship between this summer’s forest fires and climate change, seven federal cabinet ministers issued a joint statement late Friday congratulating themselves for spending $65 million to make the point.

In a news release prefaced with what has become standard boiler plate on nearly every single statement from Natural Resources Canada — the ministers of Natural Resources; Emergency Preparedness; National Defence; Indigenous Services; Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages; Northern Affairs and Northern Economic Development; and Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories — wrote: