And Good Sunday Morning!
It is a good day indeed, especially compared to what I was expecting. Today finds me in Edmonton to address the national meeting of Canada’s Municipalities- the FCM. I love my opportunity to present the Green Party to the nation’s mayors and council members. But this year I was also semi-dreading the day. It was the deadline for submissions opposing the federal government’s appalling proposals in the two discussion papers released May 8. I have shared details in the last few Good Sunday Mornings, but here is a bit of a refresher of what has been unveiled through May from my press conference last Monday, June 3. Here is the CPAC video of the whole presser:
Thanks to media coverage, especially Althia Raj’s piece on the weakening of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and the possibility it was specifically designed to allow for the legal extinction of the Southern Resident Killer Whales, the government has been receiving unexpected opposition. PMO received thousands of letters of protest. It is even rumoured enough Liberal backbenchers threatened to vote against legislation implementing these changes that it might not have passed.
On Thursday, as I was multi-tasking in debate in the chamber while using my laptop to write our reponse to the May 8 proposals, the page brought me a note. As it is against the rules to use your phone in the House, sending a note with one of the pages, is the easiest way to get an MP out of the chamber. The note was from Nick Murray, national reporter for Canadian Press. I found him just outside the doors in the foyer. He asked if I had seen the news, issued moments before, that the consultation deadline was extended. Before I could give a celebratory whoop, along came the Minister of Transport, Steve MacKinnon. Nick was fast to say “Minister I was looking for you about the consultation extension.” Nick Murray asked why the consultation period had been extended and the minister said words to the effect of “these were very popular consultations. Many people wanted to participate.” I resisted the temptation to point out that when you threaten endangered species with extinction in order to build more pipelines, people are likely to want to “participate!” You might recall this line from Raj’s May 14 Toronto Star article: “..the transport minister said the government isn’t “consciously” trying to kill the iconic orcas.”
This is a significant win. The government relented. It has NOT removed the threat, but it is the first time in the year Mark Carney has been prime minister that public protest has had any effect. I have also heard that enough Liberal MPs were opposed to the May 8th proposals, that the government might not have had the votes to implement them. (But, of course, the Conservative votes would have ensured a win, as in C-5). The discussion documents were the last straw for Steven Guilbeault, already out of Cabinet, pushing him to leave parliament altogether, The consultation period is now extended until July 22. So keep those cards and letters coming!!
I should note that it is not only environmental rules getting the 30 day window for consultations. The trade union movement has 30 days to respond to a review of the entire Canada Labour Code. I do not think this is good news for workers.
This week the government released its strategy for Artificial Intelligence. It is called “AI for all.”
This National Observer story documents the near total failure to discuss the environmental impacts,
The following is an excerpt from National Observer’s excellent reporting: “The strategy reframes the environmental impacts of AI as a competitive opportunity, touting Canada’s new National Electricity Strategy, which plans to double the electricity grid by 2050. It does not mention that this strategy allows greater use of carbon offsets to facilitate the build out of new emitting generation, including gas.
“In fact, natural gas is not mentioned at all in the AI strategy, despite dozens of proposed data centres relying on gas as an energy source, particularly in Alberta. A recent analysis by the Pembina Institute found that a single data centre site – Kevin O’Leary’s Wonder Valley project in northern Alberta – would pump out up to 30.5 megatonnes of emissions per year, singlehandedly erasing all the emissions reductions Alberta achieved by phasing out coal-fired electricity.”
And this was my 30 seconds in Question Period to press the government on the tone-deaf boosterism of “AI for All.” : (30) Elizabeth May Questions the Government Regarding Lack of Protections in New AI Strategy – YouTube
If you have been tracking my concerns about the reduction of scrutiny of toxic pesticides, I addressed them in this speech:
C-31: (30) Elizabeth May Speaks on Bill C-31 – YouTube
and lastly I am still trying to decide how to vote on the “Build Canada Homes” Act, C-20
Bill C-20: Elizabeth May Speaks on Bill C-20: Build Canada Homes Act
Advice welcome! When a bill is so meaningless, it is hard to know how to vote.
By the way, we are in clause by clause of review of the so-called “lawful access” bill. This is the last piece of what started last year as C-2, converted to C-12 and now C-22. Hearings on clause by clause and my amendments resume next week!
We are down to the home stretch of this session. Two more weeks until we recess on June 20. I am vastly relieved that we are not facing omnibus bills to push through those discussion document proposals, with the accelerated anti-democratic procedure used to pass last June’s C-5.
Thanks for all your help and support! I could not do this work without you.
Many thanks,
Elizabeth