Canada’s public water systems could be up for sale under CETA The Council of Canadians and The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) released a report last week raising serious concerns about the threat a trade deal with the European Union poses to Canada’s public water systems. Public Water For Sale: How Canada will privatize our public water systems is a report to municipal, provincial and territorial governments regarding the Canada European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). It warns that public water in Canada will be lost unless the provinces and territories take immediate steps to remove water from the scope of negotiations. CETA would open up public municipal water systems across Canada to privatization. Europe is home to private water giants such as Veolia Environment and Suez. At the request of these private, for-profit water corporations, Canada’s provincial and territorial governments are considering including drinking water and wastewater services in their services commitments under CETA. Once systems are privatized, public control and accountability would be lost. “CETA is a water privatization deal,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “Our public water is being negotiated away behind closed doors. We need to act now or we will wake up one morning and our public water systems will be gone.”

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CUPE and the Council of Canadians are calling on the provinces and territories to assert their jurisdiction and protect water from being opened up to private corporate interests.

To read the report, go here.

Here’s more about what’s new at the Council of Canadians:

• Harper government quietly negotiating new border security deal
• Canada needs to do more to secure climate justice: Council denounces last minute deal in Cancun climate talks
• Help save Canada’s lakes
• Maude Barlow speaks at Assembly of First Nations gathering
• Council of Canadians offices closed for the holidays
• Still looking for that perfect holiday gift?
• Join the Council of Canadians

Harper government quietly negotiating new border security deal

Stuart Trew, Trade Campaigner for the Council of Canadians, discusses the reported U.S.-Canada security deal with Evan Solomon

News has leaked out that the Harper government is quietly negotiating a new border security pact with the United States that echoes past “Fortress North America” plans under the now defunct Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

Expected to be announced in January 2011, the perimeter deal would harmonize rules and practices for screening offshore imports and travellers between Canada and the United States.  According to recent news reports, the countries would more closely collaborate on the defence of North America including on immigration, border protection and law enforcement. The deal would give the U.S. government a much bigger say in Canada’s border security, immigration controls and information-sharing with U.S. law-enforcement agencies.

The Council of Canadians has demanded that the Harper government publicly release details of the deal.

"Canadians have a right to know the security deal Mr. Harper has been secretly negotiating with the United States," said Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. "Harmonization, collaboration and information-sharing with the Department of Homeland Security to promote his trade agenda obviously raises sovereignty and privacy concerns."

A North American security perimeter isn’t a new idea. It was proposed as part of the SPP, which stalled in 2008 due to increasing public concerns with its infringements on democratic rights.

Since 2001, U.S. security demands have persistently intruded on the privacy and real security needs of the public. From the hastily passed Anti Terrorism Act, to the controversial Canadian Passenger Protect "no-fly" list, to the current Secure Flight legislation in the House of Commons (Bill C-42), harmonization efforts have violated civil liberties while not improving trade flows between Canada and the United States, said Stuart Trew, Trade Campaigner for the Council of Canadians.

"Canada has armed and secured itself to the teeth to satisfy the U.S. but no new perimeter plan can bring the U.S. economy back to life. That's the real reason trade is down across the border," said Trew. “When you talk about perimeter security, you’re talking about one set of rules for the entire continent. Who’s going to set those rules? Well, it’s not going to be Canada, it’s going to be the United States.”

Canada needs to do more to secure climate justice: Council denounces last minute deal in Cancun climate talks

The Council of Canadians was in Cancun campaigning for climate justice and speaking out against the Canadian government’s efforts to kill the Kyoto Protocol.

While a late-night deal for global action to address climate change was ultimately struck by most countries at the conference, it doesn’t go far enough. It pledges deeper emission cuts, but does not establish mechanisms to address situations when countries do not meet their targets. The deal also violated fundamental United Nations norms by not treating all states equally. While UN agreements call for consensus, Bolvia’s objection to the deal was overruled. This may jeopardize future negotiations and the ability to deal with the growing climate crisis.

“We call on Canadians to hold the Harper government accountable for its obstructionist and shameful role here in the sidelining of the Kyoto Protocol, and to protect our common future we will redouble our efforts to achieve a successful outcome at [UN climate negotiations] in Durban next year," said Anil Naidoo, Blue Planet Project Organizer for the Council of Canadians.

While the Council team in Cancun worked with the international climate justice movement to push for a new binding agreement, Council of Canadians members and chapter activists built support for climate justice here in Canada through more than a dozen People’s Assemblies on Climate Justice – movement-building and organizing events that brought people together to transform awareness into action in communities across Canada.

Hundreds of people also joined our action to send a message to the Canadian government by lighting a candle to demonstrate their hope and support for the Kyoto Protocol. These photos were forwarded to federal Environment Minister John Baird with a strong message that Canadians support Kyoto and binding emission reductions.

To read more about our efforts for climate justice in Cancun go here.

Help save Canada’s lakes

It's hard to imagine anything people in Canada cherish more than our clean, healthy lakes. So it's inconceivable that our government is allowing freshwater lakes to be senselessly poisoned and the life within them destroyed.

The Metal Mining Effluent Regulation of the federal Fisheries Act currently contains a policy – known as Schedule 2 – that permits healthy Canadian lakes to be "reclassified" for industrial use. For years, mining companies operating within Canada have been exploiting this loophole in the Act to use Canadian lakes as cheap solutions for dumping toxic waste generated from their operations. Once a healthy freshwater lake is listed under Schedule 2, it's no longer considered a natural body of water, but becomes a tailings impoundment area. The lake loses all environmental protection as a fish habitat and becomes a toxic dumpsite.

You Helped Save Fish Lake in BC!

There is reason to hope that we can close this loophole for good. On November 2, 2010 the federal government turned down a mining company bid to destroy the beautiful and pristine Fish Lake (also known as Teztan Biny) in British Columbia. Taseko Mines planned to drain Fish Lake and turn it into a dumpsite for their highly toxic waste. This project would have wiped out the fish populations in the lake as well as nearby rivers and streams, permanently poisoned local water supplies, and destroyed the way of life and livelihood of local First Nations.

We joined the struggle of the Tsilhqot'in First Nations and other local residents in working tirelessly to stop this beautiful lake's destruction. Council activists and staff spoke out at public meetings, in the media, at federal review panel hearings, and on September 7, 2010, we delivered more than 15,000 action cards directly to Parliament Hill sending a strong message that Canadians demand and expect our government to protect our lakes and rivers by closing the Schedule 2 loophole for good.

Your Voice is Needed

If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment now to send an urgent message to Environment Minister John Baird demanding that he close the Schedule 2 loophole for good. Then forward this message to everyone you know who shares your love of Canada's lakes. And if you can, please make a donation to help the Council of Canadians continue taking on Schedule 2 and other critical water issues.

Maude Barlow speaks at Assembly of First Nations gathering

Maude Barlow addressed close to 1,000 First Nation Chiefs and Councillors at a Special Chiefs Assembly that took place in Gatineau, Quebec earlier this month.

Also in attendance were Auditor General Sheila Fraser and four Liberal MPs, including Bob Rae and Carolyn Bennett.

Barlow spoke about water as a human right and how the Harper government has opposed this right at the United Nations, including abstaining at the historic vote at the General Assembly this past July. She highlighted the supportive work the Council of Canadians and First Nations communities have collaborated on including the recent victory to stop the destruction of Fish Lake (Teztan Biny) in British Columbia and fighting plans for Site 41 in Simcoe County, Ontario, which would have destroyed a local aquifer. She pledged that the Council of Canadians will continue to work alongside First Nations in the future.

“We need the teachings, vision and tradition of First Nations peoples in order to protect our sacred waters. We must come together to protect our water sources as a commons to be carefully and equitably managed by all, for all time. We need public trust laws that clarify that certain natural resources, like water, are central to our very existence and must therefore be protected for the common good, not put out for sale for private gain. We must put the natural world back at the centre of our existence. If we listen, nature will teach us how to live,” she said.

Council of Canadians offices closed for the holidays

The Council of Canadians’ national and regional offices will close at noon, December 24, 2010 for winter holidays. Our offices will re-open on January 4, 2011.

Should you wish to contact us during that time, please send an e-mail to inquiries@canadians.org or call us toll free at 1-800-387-7177. We will respond to all inquiries promptly in the new year.

Still looking for that perfect holiday gift?

The gift of social justice never goes out of style. Consider giving a gift to friends and family that will really make a difference – a Council of Canadians gift membership.

You will be helping the Council’s work to promote clean water, trade and climate justice, energy security and public health care for everyone. You will also be providing your loved one with an opportunity to learn more about these issues, and information on how to get involved in the fight for a better Canada and a more just world.

With your gift of a Council of Canadians membership, we will prepare a package that includes:

• A personalized holiday card advising them of your gift
• A 2011 membership card (valid for one year)
• The most recent issue of our informative magazine, Canadian Perspectives, and other current campaign information.

Visit our website today for more information, or contact our membership department at 1-800-387-7177 if you have any questions.

Join the Council of Canadians

Founded in 1985 by a handful of citizens including Farley Mowat, Pierre Berton and Margaret Atwood, the Council of Canadians is Canada’s pre-eminent public watchdog organization. By becoming a member of the Council of Canadians your generous support helps give our organization a voice on social, economic and political issues and build a strong, independent and diverse Canada. Join the Council today, and help us prove that a better Canada is possible. Already a member? Share this newsletter with a friend and encourage them to join or donate and become a part of Canada’s largest citizens’ advocacy organization.