While there are always winners and losers come federal budget time, there’s an issue when our own government is putting the interests of big oil corporations ahead of the interest of Canadians. Our right to a clean and healthy environment, as well as our right to democratic debate, is under attack.
Pegged as one of Canada’s most anti-environmental budgets ever, the federal government announced it is overhauling its environmental assessment timelines for natural resource projects. The new streamlined environmental assessment process would tout a ‘one project, one review’ principle, downloading some responsibilities on provinces, limiting the scope of reviews, and imposing shorter timelines.
The budget report goes on to highlight several major economic projects that will benefit from the fast-tracked environmental assessment process – three oil and gas pipelines, a gold mine, and a uranium mine. Clearly, the government is interested in axing sufficient environmental review in the name of big business. Environmental assessments were put into place to prevent problems before they happen, and to ensure the health of both Canadians and our environment. Shouldn’t we be striving for an environmental assessment process that is more participatory and rigorous, not less? By cutting back on environmental protection, the government has shown us they are willing to give up stewardship of the environment in favour of economic projects.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty justified the ‘one project, one review’ principle by stating, “it has become clear that we must develop new export markets for Canada’s energy and natural resources, to reduce our dependence on markets in the United States. The booming economies of the Asia-Pacific region are a huge and increasing source of demand, but Canada is not the only country to which they can turn. If we fail to act now, this historic window of opportunity will close.” But instead of ensuring our resources are developed sustainably, critics are arguing our government is open to any foreign investor who wants our resources – and we will have to clean up the mess.
The assault on the environment doesn’t stop there. The budget also includes a 6% cut to Environment Canada and a proposed 40% cut to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency for the new budget year. The EcoENERGY renewable energy program was not renewed, and the National Round Table of the Environment and the Economy was slashed altogether. Worse yet, the budget includes an $8 million dollar plan to “monitor” environmental charities and prevent them from becoming too political in nature. (Or as some would suggest, to silence the voice of critics). What wasn’t touched? The over $1 billion dollars taxpayers hand over to large oil, coal and gas corporations every year in subsidies.
While Canada used to be a global environmental leader, now we are losing ground. While climate change was only mentioned in the budget twice in passing, other countries are addressing the problem head on. Germany is aiming to derive all of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2050. Currently, 80 percent of energy supply in Iceland is derived from renewable energy sources, and 20 percent in Denmark. Yet the Harper government has shown they are not serious about responding to the climate crisis or protecting Canadian energy security.
Canada is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Our future and the future of our children depends on our ability to protect and sustain our environment. In light of the current climate change crisis, environmental protection should be at the top of Canada’s agenda, and not overlooked as it was in this budget.
