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506 Victoria Ave., Montreal, Quebec H3Y 2R5 Ph. (514) 369- 0230, Fax (514) 369- 3282 Email ******************************************************************* SPECIAL ON CANADA'S ELECTION PLATFORMS ON THE ENVIRONMENT ******************************************************************* ENVIRONMENT IN THE FEDERAL ELECTION Environmental protection has not been mentioned much by the parties as we move into Canada's federal election on November 27, 2000. Yet protection of the human environment has jumped to number three in the polls concerning the public in Canada. That means voters are concerned and are looking for environmental leadership. This issue of the Gallon Letter explores the environmental platforms of the major parties going into this election. ********************************************************************** NDP HAS TAKEN THE GREEN LEAD IN THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN The New Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada has made environmental protection one of the major components of its election platform. Leader, Alexa McDonough has stepped out on the issue visiting several environmental sites including the Sydney Nova Scotia tar ponds where a toxic soup of chemicals, larger than that of the Love Canal continues to fester near homes and commercial shops. See their website at ************************************************************************* ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NOT A MAJOR CONCERN OF THE CANADIAN ALLIANCE AND THE BLOC QUEBECOIS Both the Canadian Alliance and the Bloc Quebecois represent regional interests. Their primary concerns are Provincial Rights, and the divestment of power from the federal government to the provinces. Their interests don't lie in national environmental protection, or in international environmental efforts to promote environmentally sound development. Stockwell Day' Alliance has embraced the Mike Harris P.C. Government approach in Ontario where he cut the Ministry of the Environment budget by 42 per cent and sliced 900 staff from environmental enforcement. Ontario has suffered with growing environmental disasters like the Plastimet chemical fire and the Walkerton e.coli drinking water pollution disaster resulting the death of seven people. The important thing for the Canadian Alliance is to ensure environmental protection does not get in the way of doing business. The same can be said for the Bloc Quebecois, and its Leader, Gilles Duceppe. Much of the focus of the party is on Quebec rights and the debate on whether Quebec receives enough from its union with Canada. In reality, Quebec has pressed hard for the federal Ministry of the Environment (Environment Canada) to stay entirely out of Quebec affairs, even though the federal Fisheries Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) apply to, and have been used in, Quebec. This is at a time when Quebec has cut its environmental protection budget 65 per cent and downloaded its environmental responsibilities to the municipalities. Visit the websites of the Canadian Alliance at *********************************************************************** JOE CLARK'S PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVES WERE GOOD ON THE ENVIRONMENT Elizabeth May, Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada said that the federal Progressive Conservative Government of Brian Mulroney, with its Green Plan, was better than the Jean Chretien Liberals. Generally, the Progressive Conservative Party, when it is in power, has had a strong balanced approach to the environment, as a national party should. While we haven't heard much, if anything from Joe Clark about the environment, the policies towards the environment can be said to be much stronger than either the Canadian Alliance or the Bloc Quebecois, and more in line with those of the national NDP and Liberal parties. See the Progressive Conservative election website at ********************************************************************** LIBERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROMISES IN THE 2000 RED BOOK III The Liberal Party of Canada has learned from previous Red Book promises, not to promise and then not to deliver on the promises. So the promises in this year's election policy platform "Red Book III" are modest. Most are already being done, or were announced in the mini-budget speech by Finance Minister Paul Martin. In the early years of its mandate, during the mid 1990s, the Jean Chretien government was in a budget cutting mood and slashed the budget and staff of Environment Canada. And through its "Program Review" reduced its regulations and enforcement. This resulted in Canada falling behind the United States and Europe in environmental protection. During this same period, provinces throughout Canada, except for British Columbia, were slashing their environment budgets and staff even more. This has left Canada weak and vulnerable on the environmental protection front. In 1999, the Liberal Government reversed its budget cuts, and under Environment Minister, David Anderson, boosted spending on the environment for the first time in five years. Much of the spending was aimed at meeting its international commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. See the Liberal Party election 2000 Red Book III at the website at ********************************************************************* PREVIOUS LIBERAL GOVERNMENT $700 MILLION 2000 BUDGET COMMITMENTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT The federal government stated that overall it provided an additional $700 million from 1999 to 2003, in order, "to preserve and improve Canada's natural environment, harness new technology and respond effectively to the challenges of climate change." The majority of the funding was provided to greenhouse gas reduction initiatives. New funding was announced for: o $9 million over the next three years "to the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) and to Environment Canada to develop environmental and sustainable development indicators in collaboration with Statistics Canada." These indicators will contribute to environmental policy making in a manner similar to the way in which economic indicators facilitate the Government's economic and fiscal management. Specifically, environmental indicators will provide a better basis for assessing the interactions between the economy and the environment and will improve Canada's ability to measure its progress on improving the environment. See the NRTEE website at o $25 million Green Municipal Enabling Fund, "to help municipalities and communities determine the feasibility of and best approaches to renewable energy, building retrofit, water conservation, waste management and urban transit projects." Much of the funding will go to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and La Coalition pour le revouvellement des infrastructures du Quebec. o $100 million Green Municipal Investment Fund to "support projects in areas such as energy and water savings, urban transit and waste diversion to strengthen the sustainability of communities. Loans from the fund will be repaid and then recycled to support new projects." Loans from the fund will be repaid and then recycled to support new projects. The administration of these two funds will be the responsibility of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The FCM will establish Councils to oversee the funds. See the FCM website at o $100 million for the Sustainable Development Technology Fund, "at an initial level of $100 million. This fund will stimulate the development and demonstration of new environmental technologies, particularly those aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as fuel cells, wind turbines and advanced materials. Project funding would be available to the private sector, research centres and other institution." It is aimed at climate change greenhouse gas reduction. o $210 million in additional new funding for the 1998 Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF) to help Canada achieve its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 6 per cent from 1990 levels by the year 2012. o $15 million in procurement "of renewable energy over the next ten years for federal facilities in Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island. In addition, over the next few years, the federal government will strive to increase its purchases of green energy for its facilities located in all regions of Canada." See Environment Canada's Climate Change website at o $60 million over the next six years for the creation of the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences. It will, "be created by the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, which represents a broad community of scientists and Canadian scientific institutions." The foundation "will provide research grants to teams of Canadian scientists to strengthen Canada's climate research capacity." o $100 million over four years to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), "for technology transfer and related initiatives to help developing countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable development." o $15 million to the World Bank for its Prototype Carbon Fund. "Through this investment, Canada will contribute to new approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in both developing countries and economies in transition." o $20 million "to help developing countries and economies in transition build their capacity to reduce and eliminate their releases of persistent organic pollutants (POP's). These are toxic substances, such as DDT and PCB's, that are transported through air and water and tend to concentrate in cold climates, including Canada's Arctic region." o $22 million over three years "to improve the federal government's capacity to ensure compliance with pollution control standards in all parts of the country and, in subsequent years, will stabilize funding at $9 million per year." o $8 million a year "for the expansion of the Great Lakes Action Plan to assist in the cleanup of 16 areas of concern identified under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States." o $90 million over three years for implementing the "Species at Risk Act" (SARA). Funding will be stabilized at $45 million annually to create a national strategy on species at risk. Under this strategy, the Government will introduce federal species protection legislation and stewardship programs, which will build on the work done with provincial and territorial partners under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk." o About $5 million of foregone tax revenues in the provision of a reduction from two thirds to one third of the income inclusion rate on capital gains arising from donations of ecologically sensitive land and easements. "This will help Canada's landowners and conservation groups in their efforts to preserve Canada's wildlife habitat and natural heritage." See SARA on Environment Canada's Green Lane at ************************************************************************** THE NEW LIBERAL RED BOOK III ENVIRONMENT PROMISES FOR CAMPAIGN 2000 There was little new in the Liberal Party of Canada's policy Red Book III. It was weak compared to previous Red Book policy commitments. Regarding climate change the Red Book promised that, "a new Liberal government will attack the problem on several fronts under our Action Plan on Climate Change. We will promote increased energy efficiency in industry and in the transportation system. .We will fund the development of new energy technologies, such as fuel cells, and help farmers to reduce agricultural emissions through improved farming methods. We will increase Canada 's use of renewable energy, such as electricity from wind and ethanol from biomass. We will encourage consumers to buy more energy-efficient products by providing information and setting high product standards." Regarding air pollution the Red Book promised that, "a new Liberal government will act to significantly improve air quality for all Canadians. We will make special efforts to clean up the air in our cities, where the population and the pollutants are most highly concentrated. A new Liberal government will continue to support the development of cleaner engines and fuels, and we will strengthen emissions standards for vehicles. We will greatly reduce sulphur in diesel fuel." The Liberals addressed drinking water protection by promising that, "a new Liberal government will fund improvements to municipal water and wastewater systems through the federal- provincial- municipal Infrastructure Canada program. We will also conduct more research on contaminants that threaten our water supplies. The new federal-provincial-municipal Infra-structure Canada program will fund sewer and water improvements over the next six years and will designate funds specifically for rural projects." It added that, "a new Liberal government will work with the provinces, territories, and municipal governments to create the first building code for municipal water and wastewater facilities. This code will help improve the ability of municipalities to meet high standards for water quality. A new Liberal government will continue striving to provide farmers with the tools to succeed financially while protecting the environment and water quality." And that, "a new Liberal government will significantly increase funding for research into the effects of toxins on our health." In the field of research, the Red Book stated that, "a new Liberal government will help Canada move by 2010 to the top five countries for research and development performance by at least doubling federal expenditures on R&D. This investment will spur basic and applied research, in both established and emerging sectors of the economy. We will also support research in areas of important public interest, including environmental toxins, public health, and natural resources management." Regarding trade agreements and the environment, the Liberals stated that, "a new Liberal government will press for a Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. A new Liberal government will continue to advocate fair trading rules. We will pursue trade that respects the needs of citizens, their communities, and their environment. We will continue to protect Canada 's public health care, public education, and culture." ********************************************************************** ANALYSIS OF THE RED BOOK III ENVIRONMENT COMMITMENTS At least the federal government is reversing the trend and doing more than the Provinces. The Provinces, particularly Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta, could learn from the federal government and reverse their approach to the environment. THE COMMITMENT TO ENDANGERED SPECIES HAS DISAPPEARED However, what is not in the Liberal Red Book III, is more important than what is in. It is missing a number of fundamental environmental components that are in dire need in Canada. First, the Liberal Party left silent its commitment to passing Endangered Species legislation. Called the Species at Risk Act (SARA), it just disappeared off the radar after being a top Liberal priority in the last two elections. It is generally opposed by members of the Canadian Alliance and Bloc Quebecois. THE COMMITMENT TO CLEAN UP TOXIC SITES NOT THERE Secondly, the Liberals failed to commit to cleaning up the thousands of toxic waste sites on federal lands, within federal facilities, and under federal and interprovincial jurisdiction. It failed to commit joint resources with the provinces to clean up the abandoned and orphaned toxic sites in the provinces. This was program that was underway at the time the Liberals came to power in the early 1990's. It was cut by the Liberals and not reinstated. DECIDED NOT TO DRAFT NATIONAL DRINKING WATER PROTECTION LEGISLATION The United States has a Clean Water Act. Most of the European countries have national legislation to protect their citizens' drinking water supplies. But not Canada. After Walkerton, and the revelation of the poor state of drinking water protection in Canada, the Liberal Party should have committed to implementing a safety net legislation that kicks in when the provinces, like Ontario, fail to protect their own drinking water supplies. FAILED TO STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENT CANADA'S ADMINISTRATION Environment Canada is functioning with an unfunded mandate. It is mandated by law in certain areas to monitor and protect the environment. However, its staff and budget has been cut so severely, that Environment Canada cannot meet its mandated legal obligations to the people. Even with the infusion of $700 million for environmental measures, little, if any, of that money, goes to helping Environment Canada administer even the basics for greenhouse gas reduction, toxics reduction, and air pollution control. The irony is that for every dollar spent on environmental protection, several dollars will be saved in hospital and health care costs down the road. See the Environment Canada Green Lane website at ************************************************************************ THE FIRST LIBERAL RED BOOK 1993 ELECTION HAD 21 PROMISES Printed September 1993, it was called, "Creating Opportunity: The Liberal Plan for Canada". The 111-page election policy book had Chapter 4 on "Sustainable Development" (p. 62) . were 21 promises found in this chapter. Here are some of the promises made and what happened to them. Economic Incentives and Disincentives Promise: We will "conduct a comprehensive baseline study of federal taxes, grants, and subsidies, in order to identify barriers and disincentives to sound environmental practices. We want to promote, not hinder, the research, development and implementation of clean and energy efficient technologies; renewable energy use; the sustainable management of renewable resources, and the protection of biological diversity." Action: The promise was partially kept. The promise did result in a stakeholders group on economic barriers and disincentives which met for three years 1994 -97 under the auspices of Finance Minister Paul Martin. However, its efforts were stymied by the Finance Ministry bureaucracy and the industry stakeholders who effectively stopped any actions from being taken to reduce the tax and subsidy barriers. As a result, the chair of the stakeholders group, Jim McNeill quit in disgust and sent a letter to the Finance Minister outlining why the process failed. Appoint an Environmental Auditor General Promise: We "will appoint an Environmental Auditor General, reporting directly to Parliament, with powers of the Auditor General. This office would report annually to the public on how successfully federal programs and spending are supporting the shift to sustainable development." Action; The promise was kept and has resulted in a very successful series of federal department commitments and actions to improve the environment and has led to an excellent federal Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner's Office. Economic Instruments Promise: "A Liberal government will use economic instruments for environmental protection, as a complement to the traditional regulatory method, where these can offer the lowest-cost and most flexible methods of achieving environmental goals. Action. This promise was not kept. Finance Minister Paul Martin, as the Liberal Opposition Environment Critic, promised to move quickly to implement economic instruments. When he became Finance Minister, he faced tremendous resistence from the Finance Ministry bureaucrats and industry sectors. As a result, very small economic instruments were used on the fringe of issues. They include a tax break for placing land into conservation and a tax break for some renewable energy projects. However, the Finance Ministry eliminated the accelerated depreciation for writing off new environment equipment purchased by polluters. The Liberal government failed implement any substantial economic instruments and has fallen behind the EU, Japan and even Australia in economic instruments. Timetable to Phase Out Toxic Chemicals Promise: "Timetables must be set for phasing out all use of the most persistent toxic substances." Action: Promise not kept. There is no clear action plan that will actually result in meeting deadlines for phasing out the use of the most persistent toxic substances. Promote Pollution Prevention Promise: "A Liberal government will use the upcoming five-year review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act make pollution prevention a national goal and to strengthen the enforcement of federal pollution standards." Action: Promise kept. *********************************************************** IN SUMMARY Concern about the environment the voting public is at an all time high. Commitment to protecting the environment by the Provinces (except B.C.) is at an all time low. The federal Liberals are muddling somewhere in the middle, while the next two largest parties in Canada, the Canadian Alliance and the Bloc Quebecois, have dropped the ball when it comes to protecting the environment. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Copyright (c) 2000 Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment, Montreal & Toronto All rights reserved. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |