We would like to thank all the Saanich-Gulf Islands constituents who took the time to send us their thoughts on this important consultation.

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“I first organized in my community for Earth Day 1970 — 43 years ago. I was in Grade 10 and it was also the very first Earth Day,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

“Issues have of course changed over time, they are probably more complex than ever, but the core principles we were fighting for then have not changed: ecological wisdom, non-violence, social justice, sustainability, participatory democracy and respect for diversity,” said May.

“The waves of environmental concern come and go, but the good news is that each wave leaves a stronger and larger core of committed people. And the better news is that as the popular movement ebbs and flows, the Green Party keeps on steadily building,” said May.

Notes:

• Earth Day Canada’s events listing.
• Elizabeth May’s Earth Day events this weekend.

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“Our planet’s population reached 7 billion last October,” observed Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, MP Saanich-Gulf Islands.  “Because of this, many try to blame ‘over-population’ for increasing global suffering, but it is more about political will.”

May noted that the Harper Conservatives’ slashing of $377.7 million from CIDA and Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) indicates that their political will is seriously lacking when it comes to honouring Canada’s stated commitment to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The Goals, endorsed by Canada and 188 other UN members in 2000, vowed to minimize extreme poverty, hunger, and disease, and promote gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability.  Even in 2010, Harper urged world leaders at a major UN summit on development aid to focus on results, not “lofty promises.”  He argued that:  “Together, we must keep our promises and work towards practical, durable solutions.”

The Harper Conservatives have also taken a dangerously wrong turn concerning access to legal abortions in the developing world.  Every year, at least 330,000 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.  Of these, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost 70,000 women die due to complications caused by unsafe abortions. 

During the 2010 G-8 Summit, the Harper Conservatives promised up to $1 billion in nutrition and health-care initiatives to promote maternal and child health in the developing world.  However, they also ended Canada’s traditional funding for legal abortions – ignoring global data showing that such restrictions only serve to increase the number of unsafe abortion procedures and complications.

“As the Harper Conservatives break in another CIDA minister, this is an excellent time for them to reverse their backward and cruel policy on legal abortion funding,” said May.  “This would help improveCanada’s increasingly negative international reputation – as well as saving lives,” May said.

Harper will also have an opportunity to develop more humane policies during a Family Planning Summit to be held in London, UK, on July 11. 

“I urge the Conservatives to use this summit to announce increased funding for sexual and reproductive health rights, including the rights of women and girls to have access to contraceptive information, services, and supplies, without coercion or discrimination,” said May.

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This enactment requires the Standing Committee established by the House of Commons to consider matters related to the environment and sustainable development to study the development and publication of a set of indicators to measure the well-being of people, communities and ecosystems in Canada and make its recommendations to the House.

Preamble

Whereas promoting the well-being of Canadians is of the first importance in the work of Parliament;

Whereas the citizens of Canada, including members of Parliament, are better able to promote and enhance the well-being of the nation if they are well informed about the state of well-being of people, communities and ecosystems in Canada;

And whereas such information would provide a meaningful understanding of genuine progress; Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

1. This Act may be cited as the Canada Genuine Progress Measurement Act.

Interpretation

Definitions

2. The definitions in this section apply in this Act.

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development appointed under subsection 15.1(1) of the Auditor General Act.

“Standing Committee” means the standing committee established by the House of Commons to consider matters related to the environment and sustainable development.

Study of Indicators

Committee study and recommendations

3. (1) The Standing Committee must carry out a study on a set of indicators of the economic, social and environmental well-being of people, communities and ecosystems in Canada and, on the basis of that study, must make recommendations respecting

(a) the definition, development and periodic publication of the set of indicators;

(b) the broad societal values on which the set of indicators should be based;

(c) the role that the Commissioner should play in the development and publication of those indicators;

(d) the role that the Government of Canada, and particularly Statistics Canada, should play in the development and publication of those indicators;

(e) whether an advisory committee consisting of members of the public, including persons with expertise in economic, social, environmental and statistical matters, should be created to advise, on a continuing basis, on the development, calculation and publication of the set of indicators, and how such an advisory committee should function;

(f) whether further legislation is advisable to govern the development and publication of those indicators; and

(g) other aspects of the definition, development and publication of those indicators.

Committee process

(2) The Standing Committee, as a part of its considerations with respect to paragraphs 1(a) and (b), must

(a) receive input from the public through written submissions and public hearings; and

(b) seek information and advice from individ­uals and organizations in Canada and other nations, and from international agencies, that have expertise in the measurement of the well-being of people, communities and ecosystems.

Specific indicators and composite indices

(3) The set of indicators must include indicators that are specific to single aspects of well-being and one or more composite indices calculated from a number of the specific indicators.

Publication

(4) The set of indicators must be

(a) published annually in the Canada Ga- zette and in at least one daily newspaper in each official language, subject to any requirement in the report of the Standing Committee as adopted that they be published more frequently; and

(b) made available to the public, in both physical and electronic form, in the manner determined by the management committee established under subsection 4(1).

Report

(5) The Standing Committee must report to the House of Commons its recommendations on the matters set out in paragraphs (1)(c) to (g) no later than the third day on which the House sits following the expiry of twelve months after the coming into force of this Act.

Management committee

4. (1) If the report of the Standing Committee as presented by the Committee or as amended by the House of Commons is adopted by the House, the Chief Statistician of Canada and the Commissioner must, subject to the recommendations in the report as adopted, establish a management committee consisting of the Chief Statistician of Canada and the Commissioner and such other members as they jointly appoint. Function of management committee

(2) The management committee must direct the development and publication of the set of indicators subject to the recommendations in the report as adopted.

Interim partial publication

5. (1) The specific indicators and composite indices referred to in subsection 3(3) must be published twice by Statistics Canada, namely one year and two years after the date of the adoption of the report. Publication of results of application

(2) The results of the application of the set of indicators must be published in full, subject to the recommendations in the report as adopted, by Statistics Canada no later than three years after the date of the adoption of the report.

Annual report by Commissioner

6. Within 90 days of the first publication of the results referred to in subsection 5(2) and every year thereafter, the Commissioner must prepare and submit to the House of Commons an annual report analysing and evaluating, on the basis of those results, the current well-being of the people, communities and ecosystems in Canada.

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One of the pieces of legislation repealed in this act spoke specifically to the question of intergenerational equity through the concept of sustainable development. The Minister of the Environment has put forward the idea that we can eliminate the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy because we now have the Internet.

I would like to tell the hon. parliamentary secretary that no technological gizmo can replace getting CEOs of Canada’s leading industries in the same room with trade union leaders, in the same room with environmental experts and in the same room with first nations to come to better decisions for future generations.

Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, of course the environment is extraordinarily important to the members on this side of the House. My family was one of the first families to donate a conservation easement across 60 acres of 100 acres of land that we owned just north of Markham. That easement was given to the Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust to preserve significant amounts of natural heritage.

This government has continued to do that. Before I was elected and before that member was elected, we worked with our partners, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited, and put significant investments into securing our natural heritage across this country. I know that in my riding we have announced the creation of a new park, the Rouge Park. We are doing a lot of things.

Some can talk about environmental protection; we chose a different path. What we chose to do is to actually act on protecting our environment. That is why greenhouse gases are coming down. That is why we are creating new parks. That is why this government has decided to get out of programs and services that do not work and to focus on those that actually do work for the environment and the Canadian economy.

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May worked in the Progressive Conservative government as Senior Policy Advisor to Environment Minister Tom McMillan during the time preparations were being made for the Acid Rain Accord.  Government leaders of that era were lauded for their political vision in negotiating the agreement with the United States after agreements for 50% reductions of sulphur dioxide had been secured with the seven eastern provinces.  In 2006, Corporate Knights honoured Brian Mulroney as the “Greenest PM in Canadian History,” partly due to his achievement with this important file. 

In addition to the Acid Rain Accord, Canada was a leader in the 1987 Montreal Protocol to stop depletion of the ozone layer and in 1988 Canada was the first western government to endorse the sustainable development recommendations of the Brundtland Commission. Also in 1988, Canada hosted the first international scientific conference on climate change.

Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley was also applauded for his leadership in staring down Inco, the single largest point source of sulphur dioxide in North America. Despite Inco’s efforts to have Premier David Peterson fire Bradley, Ontario regulated Inco anyway. 

“It was a time of Progressive Conservatism,” said May. “A time when partisanship was set aside, alliances were built, and political leadership was evident.

Prime Minister Mulroney had put in place a process where the environmental implications had to be considered for all government initiatives.  His vision was that Canada would be a world leader in protecting our natural resources.  In a 2006 interview by Corporate Knights, Mulroney commented, “I think the government has to reposition environment on top of their national and international priorities. It has to be an integral part of the articulation of a national series of objectives. Right now, it’s not. And only the Prime Minster can do that.”  In his acceptance speech, Mulroney called climate change “the most compelling environmental challenge facing the world today.”

“Prime Minister Mulroney suggested that Canada could lead by example. ‘Claiming the high ground,’ he said.  Unfortunately, instead, the current Conservative government seems to be dragging us into the ditch,” said May.  “Canada was once a global leader on environmental issues.  We may yet get there again one day but only if current political winds change.  I have hope they will and our country will again rise to the challenge.”

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