Great Lakes Annex 2005

Public consultation process inadequate, says Council of Canadians

The Council of Great Lakes Governors is trying to silence citizen opposition by eroding the public consultation process. Make your voice heard! Attend a public consultation near you.

The public consultations are flawed because:

• LENGTH: The Council of Great Lakes Governors has announced that the public consultations on the second draft of the Annex will be a mere 60 days! This is 30 days less than the already insufficient timeframe allotted for the first round of consultations.

• TIMING: The second round of public consultations will take place during the months of July and August, when many citizens are on holiday or otherwise unable to participate.

• NOTICE: The public consultations were announced June 30, 2005. The first consultation takes place in Windsor on July 5, 2005. This is simply not enough time for citizens to learn about the agreements and to prepare comments for the meeting.

The Council of Canadians will make a formal request to the Council of Great Lakes Governors to extend the consultation process to allow for more meaningful debate and public participation.