MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
March 1, 2010
Council of Canadians calls on returning MPs to prioritize fair trade, water, and climate justice
Ottawa – On the eve of the Throne Speech and federal budget, the Council of Canadians is urging all Members of Parliament to make water, climate, and trade justice priorities in the next session of Parliament. The policy demands of the Council of Canadians are appended to this release.
“The Council of Canadians is calling for a national water policy that recognizes water as a human right in domestic law, declares surface and groundwater a public trust, and supports the recognition of water as a human right in international law,” says Council of Canadians National Water Campaigner Meera Karunananthan. “The federal government should create a national water infrastructure fund, stop compelling municipalities to explore P3s under the Building Canada Fund, and remove Schedule 2 from the Fisheries Act.”
“The Council of Canadians is calling for a phase out of all subsidies to big oil and carbon capture and storage, significant green infrastructure spending, and implementing a plan for greenhouse gas emission reductions of at least 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020,” says Council of Canadians Energy Campaigner Andrea Harden-Donahue. “The immediate passage of private members Bill C-311 (which includes a target of 25 per cent reductions below 1990 levels by 2020) is a necessary starting point.”
“The Council of Canadians is calling for Parliamentary hearings on the Buy American deal and the Canada-EU free trade agreement,” says Council of Canadians Trade Campaigner Stuart Trew. “Parliament should keep Bill C-23 (the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement) off the order paper until an independent Human Rights Impact Assessment can be carried out and adopt private member’s bills C-435 (Made in Canada Procurement Act) and C-300 (Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas Corporations in Developing Countries).”
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For More Information:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685, 
COUNCIL OF CANADIANS
POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE 2010 THRONE SPEECH, BUDGET, AND PARLIAMENTARY SESSION
CLIMATE JUSTICE
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Commitment to phase out all subsidies for fossil-fuel based energy production as well as subsidies for carbon-capture and storage.
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Commitment to green infrastructure investments of at least $10 billion dollars over each of the next two years to five areas: energy conservation through building retrofits and renewable energy projects, mass transit, passenger rail and affordable housing.
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Commitment to building a national plan for greenhouse gas emission reductions of at least 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, moving to much deeper reductions by 2050. The immediate passage of the private members Bill C-311 (the Climate Change Accountability Act which includes a target of 25 per cent reductions below 1990 levels by 2020) is a necessary starting point for moving towards achieving the deeper emission reduction targets climate justice demands.
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Federal action to repeal the energy provisions of NAFTA and chapter 11, and reject similar energy provisions in any future trade agreement.
Further Reading:
WATER JUSTICE
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A national water policy that recognizes water as a human right in domestic law, declares surface and groundwater a public trust, and supports the recognition of water as a human right in international law.
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The elimination of conditionalities that require municipalities to explore P3s under the Building Canada Fund
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A national water infrastructure fund to support public water and wastewater infrastructure.
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The removal of Schedule 2 from the Fisheries Act and the creation and enforcing strict laws against industrial dumping, the use of non-essential pesticides on public and private lands, and the discharge of toxins into waterways.
Further Reading:
TRADE JUSTICE
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Parliamentary hearings on the Buy American deal and CETA (the Canada-European Union: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement).
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Another round of infrastructure spending – transfer payments to the provinces – with a condition attached that 50 per cent of the total value is made in Canada so long as doing so would not increase the total cost of the infrastructure project by more than 10 per cent. As per Peter Julian’s private member’s bill C-435 (Made in Canada Procurement Act), it should apply “to highway, rail and local transportation, tourism and urban development, sewage treatment, water infrastructure, and the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund Act.”
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Committing to keep Bill C-23 off the order paper until an independent Human Rights Impact Assessment can be carried out as per the recommendation in June 2008 of the Standing Committee on International Trade, and supported by all opposition parties.
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A commitment to enter into negotiations with the United States and Mexico to remove water permanently from NAFTA, as well as to remove Chapter 11 – based on the assault of recent lawsuits.
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The passage of Liberal MP John McKay’s private members bill C-300 (Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas Corporations in Developing Countries) as our current best chance to hold Canadian mining companies accountable for human rights and environmental crimes abroad. Blackfire and Pacific Rim (El Salvador) cases being the most recent examples.
Further reading:
