March 12, 2009
Video: Don’t Sell out Canadian Rivers
The Conservatives used the 2008 Federal Budget Bill C-10 to push through all sorts of other agendas including targetting organized labour and women’s right to equal pay. Also contained was a set of amendments that gut the Navigable Waters Protection Act, an important law that had defended Canadian’s rights to use our lakes and rivers since before Confederation. It is also one of the most important environmental protections against pollution and reckless development of our waterways.
River users and environmentalists are up in arms about the changes which grant enormous powers to the Minister of Transportation to decide which rivers deserve protection and which will be sacrificed for profits. It will allow for the construction of bridges, hydro dams, docks, aquaculture and other structures that obstruct waterway access for recreational users and fisheries as well as harm ecologically sensitive water systems.
Nathan is working with river allies to reverse these changes and rose in the House today to challenge the Minister on this reckless move.
“Mr. Speaker, by stripping the Navigable Waters Act, the Conservatives will promote industrial development on our lakes and rivers but without any environmental assessments whatsoever. While the minister believes such safeguards are “red tape”, hunters, anglers and boaters see them as critical in protecting our great outdoors from pollution and dangerous development.
Conservationists and recreation users across Canada are furious, and rightly so. Why does the minister feel that he can be judge, jury and executioner for Canada’s waterways? Why is he fast-tracking the destruction of Canada’s great outdoors?”
