The Federal government is using the economic crisis as an excuse to severely weaken a policy that protects historic public navigation rights and the environment.

The amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act being proposed under  C-10, the Harper government’s Budget Implementation Act,  will  give the Transport Minister the power to push through a number of projects including some run of the river and micro hydro-dams projects from environmental oversight.

The federal government will be relinquishing its constitutional jurisdiction over navigation. As pointed out by the Canadian Rivers Network, there are no laws or regulations, other than the NWPA, in place to protect the public right of navigation. The provinces have no jurisdiction over navigation and no ability to protect navigable waters.

Natural resources Minister Lisa Raitt told the media in January: "I am here looking for feedback and perspectives on the best way to stimulate the economy. This is no time for red tape. We need to be pushing through on projects and not letting man-made interventions happen (that would delay) getting shovels into the ground and moving projects along that have been studied enough."

Let the government know that environmental protection is not an administrative burden.  Email your MP (see sample letter below) and demand that  the amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act be pulled out of the Budget Implementation Act!

Find your elected representative at: http://www.canadians.org/action/contact_reps.html

SAMPLE EMAIL TO MP

Dear Member of Parliament,

I am writing to request that amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act be removed from the Budget Implementation Act.

I am concerned that the Conservative government views a bill that has protected the navigation rights of people living in Canada, the traditional rights of Indigenous peoples and the environment as administrative red tape. I am outraged that Indigenous peoples and the Canadian public have not been consulted on the sweeping changes to the Act being proposed by the Conservative government.

Environmental protection is not a regulatory burden,  and the Canadian public and affected communities have a right to be consulted on amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

Sincerely,

Your name