The federal government of Canada has taken dramatic steps to dismantle our environmental laws in favour of the energy industry.
The Canadian government’s proposed changes will help fast-track environmental assessments for industrial projects like the Northern Gateway Pipeline, despite massive opposition from concerned citizens from across North America.
The budget bill, C-38, replaces the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, empowers the federal government to crack down on charities, including environmental groups, that advocate for better laws and policies, overrides National Energy Board decisions, rushes projects through a weakened environmental review process to speed up approvals, and shut citizen groups out of environmental reviews for pipelines.
Instead of using the usual process for sweeping changes, which allows for thorough debate, these changes are being shoehorned into a massive budget law.
“These changes—hidden in a budget bill in the hopes that Canadians wouldn’t notice—are threatening the core values all Canadians hold dear: nature and democracy,” said Sidney Ribaux, executive director of Equiterre. “We are compelled to speak out and we’re inviting Canadians from all walks of life to join us.”
The government is putting the future of our land, water and climate at risk with the recent federal budget implementation bill. Over a third of the budget is dedicated to weakening Canada’s most important environmental laws, including measures to make it more difficult for environmental charities to participate in the public policy process. These groups are asking Canadians to join them in speaking out and letting the government know that silence is not an option for those who care about what could be lost.
“The attacks on environmental charities and gutting of environmental review processes aim to silence Canadians of all sectors and many backgrounds who participate in decision-making about large-scale industrial developments,” said Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation. “This is not only undemocratic—it will undermine the government’s ability to make sound policy decisions and to protect the environment.”
“Powerful oil interests aren’t just changing the rules—they’re disqualifying any player not on their team,” said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence.
It is critical that Canadian citizens speak up on this attack against democracy.
Email or tweet your Member of Parliament today and make your views known.
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