Group demands debate on Bill C-38

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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They want government bill-38 debated in parliament, especially on the subject on the environment.  In their group are writers, lawyers, bankers, gardeners, dancers, producers, and concerned Canadians.  “We would like the Prime Minister to respect Canada’s democratice traditions,” said Stephan, a spokesman for the group that had gathered at Dundas Square in Toronto.  “The values of democracy and environmental protection have defined us as Canadians over generations,” he continued. “ The Federal Budget Bill C-38 2912 threatens to undermine and destroy these fundamental aspects of what makes Canada one of the most lauded nations in the world. This cannot happen. As Canadians, we owe a duty to our heritage and future to protect these fundamental rights. “

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

1. Ignoring the Democratic Process: Enacting risky legislative amendments within the Budget bill without parliamentary debate is an undemocratic act. This is an affront to the dignity and memory of those Canadians who have fought tirelessly to protect the principle of civic representation and debate in the way we are governed as a people. New laws must be debated in Parliament – especially those that impact the environment, health care, employment insurance and other fundamental aspects of life that are changed through Bill C-38. Canada wants and deserves parliamentary debate about such important matters.

2. Threatens Canada's Freshwater: Bill C-38 Changes the Fisheries Act from protecting fish habitats to triggering environmental assessments only when industrial activities threaten fish of 11 commercial, recreational or aboriginal fisheries". Environmental lawyers' best tool for protecting Canada's freshwater was the Fisheries Act, as it triggered federal assessments whenever fresh water was threatened. The changes will place Canada in a pre-1976 era of freshwater protection where Canada had no laws to protect water and no way to monitor the industrialexpansion that occurred at the expense of major fish habitats and fresh water in the country. 'This is being done to allow oil pipelines to be built in expanding the Alberta Oil Sands projects that are already dramatically polluting the beautiful I waters of Western Canada and will release toxins and an upcoming, additional 62 megatonnes of greenhouse gases into the Canadian environment without public debate or consent.

3. Threatens Canada's Environment: While more pollution will enter the environment, Bill C 38 also replaces the Environmental Assessment Act to narrow the scope of assessments, making them less rigorous and subject to time limits that will effectively render them useless. Joint Review Panels will be denied participatory hearings so environmental groups will not be able to contribute information to environmental reviews – only the industrial company directly involved with the project will be able to submit their view. Also, the Prime Minister is now granted the authority to override a "no" decision of the National Energy Board that was responsible for determining whether or not pipeline projects could be built, taking environmental matters into consideration. All these combined factors will have a devastating impact on environmental protection and on the environment itself.

4. Threatens Species at Risk: In determining whether to allow the building of pipelines, the National Energy Board will no longer be able to consider species at risk, including endangered orca whales that will be affected by the building of oil traffic through Western Canada.

5. Threatens to Silence Canadians: Bill C-38 shuts down several government- funded groups and agencies, including the National Council of Welfare, the Public Appointments Commission, Rights and Democracy, the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal and Assisted Human Reproduction Canada. It also removes the inspector general of CSIS, removing parliamentary oversight for the one institution that Canadians have no review mechanism for.

6. Threatens Employment Insurance: Employment insurance claimants are required to demonstrate they are actively seeking "suitable work" in order to receive payments. C-38 removes definitions of "suitable work" from the Employment Insurance Act and gives the federal cabinet the power to create new regulations about what constitutes suitable work and discriminate against new Canadians. These changes are only a few of the more than 70 legislative amendments attached to the 42S-page budget bill including others regarding health care, the Refugee Protection Act and more laws that form the basis of what it means to be Canadian. We cannot allow this to pass. Stand up against Bill C 38 for Canada, for our democracy, for our environment and for our future.

Paul Collins, author of Mack Dunstan’s Inferno / Mystery of Everyman’s Way

Contact him on http://www.facebook.com/#!/authorpaulcollins