And Good Sunday Morning!! And Happy Mother’s Day! Send love to Mother Earth – our mother no matter where we are in life. I rejoice in the love of and for my daughter, all my step-kids and grandchildren. I am very lucky!!
Here is the Mother’s Day message I delivered in Parliament on Friday.
Meanwhile, on Friday the federal government launched its next grenade at thorough review of projects before they are approved, while showing an utter misunderstanding of obligations for proper consultation under UNDRIP and section 35 of our Constitution.
As I read the Government of Canada announcement, I marveled at how history is repeating itself. Stephen Harper did exactly what Carney wants to do now. Demand one project – one review, set firm timelines for faster review, and get rid of red tape.
It is “deja vu” all over again! As you know, I am cursed with a good memory.
The Kinder Morgan pipeline (before Canada bought it) was “one project – one review.” Under Christy Clark, B.C. opted to have NO BC environmental assessment and leave it to the feds. Then Harper (under C-38 in 2012) repealed the Mulroney era Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and put in his version which had explicit (short) timelines for review at each stage. Harper then shifted reviews away from the Environmental Assessment Agency and had energy projects reviewable by the NEB…
The NEB had no understanding of environmental reviews and ran a process that failed to meet minimal standards for such reviews. Meanwhile Kinder Morgan failed to properly consult First Nations. The failures that resulted in the permit being cancelled by the Federal Court of Appeal in the fall of 2018 were all predictable. These “haste make waste” errors were due to exactly the kind of changes Carney-Hodgson and company want now…
But this makes it all worse. Carney wants to move faster than Harper.
Here is what was released by the Government of Canada on Friday. Details below, but note this announcement launches a 30-day window for consultation on sweeping changes impacting the environment, Indigenous peoples and citizen rights of participation. Former minister Steven Guilbeault spoke out on Friday’s CBC Power and Politics. This is just shocking.
Excerpts:
“For too long, nation-building infrastructure – including ports, railways, energy corridors, critical mineral developments, and clean energy – has been bogged down in red tape, leaving enormous investment on the table.
To that end, the government is launching two discussion papers to engage Canadians over a 30-day period on proposed reforms to:
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- Ensuring federal reviews and decision-making timelines take no more than one year, once all information from the project proponent has been received;
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- Establishing a Crown Consultation Hub to strengthen Crown consultation on project reviews and coordinate one Indigenous consultation process, per community, per project;
- Creating a regulatory system where a single comprehensive federal decision is made on permits and approvals for major projects.”
As you can see – breathtaking. And now we know the government approved vocabulary for pipelines: “energy corridors.”
Environmental law groups are mobilizing. I am certain Indigenous law organizations will be enraged by the idea that “there is to be one Indigenous consultation process, per community, per project.” Community? We are talking about rights-holding nations. I cannot see how this discussion paper got through approvals within government. We have a fight on our hands.
Meanwhile in encouraging news, the first Transition Away from Fossil Fuels meeting in Colombia went very well!
Only one Canadian Parliamentarian was there, my friend, academic and scientist, Quebec Senator Rosa Galvez attended. An Environment Canada official was also there as an observer.
Here are some good summaries of what was achieved!
What Happened at Santa Marta—and What Comes Next?
Participants/ Stakeholders Involved
In some of my other work this week in Environment Committee, the Secretary of State for Nature confirmed what I had feared, that the Nature Accountability Act, Bill C-73 that died on the order paper January 6th 2025, was not coming back.
In debate on a Conservative motion to defend private property rights, I had a ten minute chance to try to explain the Cowichan decision:
And lastly, my attempt to get answers on civil service cuts, including locally for Parks Canada and oil spill emergency response: Elizabeth May Questions Government on Cuts to Civil Service
And in closing, strong Green results coming out of local elections in the UK!
Zack Polanski declares two-party politics dead after Hackney mayoral win.
Greens leader celebrates victory over Labour for Zoë Garbett, his party’s first ever elected mayor.
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Parliament is inexplicably taking a two week break so I will be working at home in the riding. Much to do!
Love and thanks,
Elizabeth