FourWinds10.com - Delivering Truth Around the World
Custom Search

Environmental groups, First Nations join in opposition

Idle No More

Smaller Font Larger Font RSS 2.0

November 21, 2012

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, and all Members of Parliament

Dear Prime Minister Harper and Members of Parliament,

We represent First Nations and environmental, recreation and grassroots groups supported by more

than half a million Canadians. We are disappointed that, despite the opposition of millions of Canadians

to the attacks on nature and democracy in omnibus bill C-38, the government has again chosen to

rewrite some of Canada's foundational environmental protection laws by inappropriately including

amendments in another massive omnibus bill, C-45.

Again, this is a two-pronged attack on our democratic processes, as this bill seems designed to

short-circuit parliamentary discussion of major legislative changes that would significantly reduce

opportunities for public consultation.

Bill C-45 would further undermine the protection of Canadian nature by making substantial changes to

the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA, proposed to be the Navigation Protection Act), the Fisheries

Act and the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act — critical laws that were once used to steward

a sustainable environment, clean water and healthy oceans for all Canadians.

Together, the changes proposed in the omnibus bill would further weaken Canada’s environmental

laws, remove critical federal safeguards, and reduce opportunities for the public to have their say

about projects that could threaten the air, water, soil and ecosystems on which all Canadians, and our

economy, depend.

The proposed changes to the NWPA are disturbing on several levels. The result is that the vast

majority of Canada’s lakes and rivers would no longer enjoy proactive federal navigation protection

under the new act. Instead, concerned citizens would be forced to spend their time and money in the

courts fighting to protect their rights to unobstructed waterways. For those water bodies that remain

“protected,” the changes would also eliminate all automatic public participation from decision-making,

allowing the minister of transport to fast-track specific projects without even notifying, let alone

consulting, the public.

Changes to the Fisheries Act, also buried in the bill, would further dismantle this key environmental

law by giving industry the option to request that their existing commitments to protect fish habitat be

amended or cancelled, or that they be let off the hook for promised compensation for lost or damaged

habitat.

The changes in Bill C-45 would also eliminate the Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission,

an independent body charged with making science-based decisions to protect Canadians from toxic

chemicals and hazardous materials in the workplace. This could result in less disclosure from companies

about the chemical contents of their products. Canadians deserve accountability and transparency about

the use and distribution of toxins, yet if the commission is eliminated no independent body will oversee

industry requests to mask chemical contents of the products that industry uses or produces.

Bill C-45 further demonstrates a pattern of recklessness by the federal government that puts the long-

term safety and health of Canadians in jeopardy. These are major changes that, if not stopped now, will

ripple out across communities everywhere in Canada -- putting our water, air, food and quality of life at

risk.

We urge every Member of Parliament to stand up for nature and democracy by voting for amendments

to Bill C-45 that would prevent such damaging changes from being written into law.

Signed:

l’Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique (AQLPA)

BC Assembly of First Nations

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

David Suzuki Foundation

Ecojustice

Environmental Defence

Équiterre

Greenpeace Canada

Greenpeace Québec

Idle No More (Saskatchewan Grassroots Advocacy Group)

Nature Canada

Paddle Canada

Pembina Institute

Ontario Rivers Alliance

Sierra Club Canada

Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs

West Coast Environmental Law

World Wildlife Fund

View the letter, backgrounder and media release online:

http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/press-releases/environmental-groups-first-nations-join-in-

opposition-to-omnibus-bill-c-45

For immediate release: November 21, 2012

Environmental groups, First Nations join in opposition to omnibus Bill C-45

Massive bill before Parliament further undermines Canadian democracy and

environment, groups say in open letter

TORONTO –First Nations and environmental, recreation and grassroots groups supported by more than

half a million Canadians today issued an open letter opposing the federal government’s controversial

second omnibus bill, C-45, as the proposed legislation enters final rounds of debate in Parliament this

week.

“The changes proposed in this omnibus bill would further weaken Canada’s environmental laws, remove

critical federal safeguards, and reduce opportunities for the public to have their say about major

industrial projects that could threaten the air, water, soil and natural ecosystems on which all Canadians,

and our economy, depend,” they said in the letter.

The signatories include the BC Assembly of First Nations, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs,

leading environmental organizations, including the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Équiterre, and

the World Wildlife Fund, and groups from different sectors, nationwide (see below).

The organizations are speaking out against Bill C-45’s deregulation of some of Canada’s key

environmental laws, including major changes being proposed to the Navigable Waters Protection Act

that would see just 97 of Canada’s approximately 32,000 major lakes protected by the stripped-down

act. Major pipelines would also be exempted under the new law, meaning that the scope of impacts

considered during environmental reviews will be narrower.

“Simply put, lakes, rivers and streams often stand in the path of large industrial development,

particularly pipelines. This bill, combined with last spring’s changes, hands oil, gas and other natural

resource extraction industries a free pass to degrade Canada’s rich natural legacy,” said Devon Page,

executive director of Ecojustice.

The latest omnibus legislation would further undermine the protection of Canada’s environment by

making changes to the Fisheries Act and the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act — critical laws

that are used to steward a sustainable environment, clean water and healthy oceans for all Canadians.

Meanwhile, organizations argue the bill represents a two-pronged attack on Canada’s democratic

processes, seemingly designed to short-circuit parliamentary discussion of major legislative changes that

would significantly reduce opportunities for public consultation.

“This week may be the last time that Members of Parliament will be able to prevent the further loss

of environmental protection and public participation that this bill contemplates,” said Jessica Clogg,

executive director and senior counsel, West Coast Environmental Law.

“That’s why we’re asking our elected officials to stand up, for Canada’s environment and their

constituents who depend on it, and oppose this bill.”

Tabled in October, Bill C-45 follows a drastic overhaul of Canada’s federal environmental laws in the

spring omnibus budget bill, C-38. The negative impacts of C-38 are already being seen on the ground and

in massive staffing cuts to federal environmental departments.

In their open letter, the groups argue that Bill C-45 “further demonstrates a pattern of recklessness by

the federal government that puts the long-term safety and health of Canadians in jeopardy. These are

major changes that, if not stopped now, will ripple out across communities everywhere in Canada --

putting our water, air, food and quality of life at risk.”

The signatories are:

 l’Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique (AQLPA),

BC Assembly of First Nations, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation,

Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, Équiterre, Greenpeace Canada, Greenpeace Québec, Idle No More

(Saskatchewan Grassroots Advocacy Group), Nature Canada, Paddle Canada, Pembina Institute, Ontario

Rivers Alliance, Sierra Club Canada, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, West Coast Environmental

Law, World Wildlife Fund.

- 30 -

View the letter, backgrounder and media release online:

English:

http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/press-releases/environmental-groups-first-nations-join-in-opposition-to-omnibus-bill-c-45

French (available after 5:30am Eastern time):

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/fr/medias/communiques-de-presse/2012/11/les-groupes-

environnementaux-et-les-premieres-nations-sassocient-pour-le-meme-co/index.php

For more information, please contact:

Devon Page, Executive Director, Ecojustice: 604-685-5618 ext 233; 778-828-5512;

dpage@ecojustice.ca

Jessica Clogg, Executive Director and Senior Counsel, West Coast Environmental Law Association: (604)

601-2501; mobile: 778-327-8964; Jessica_Clogg@wcel.org

Karel Mayrand, Directeur général, Foundation David Suzuki (Montreal); 514-871-4932;

kmayrand@davidsuzuki.org

http://www.idlenomore.ca/