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April 26th, 2012

Conservative environmental plan on the wrong track

Conservatives must protect the environment instead of facilitating oil projects

OTTAWA – New Democrats today expressed outrage over the details of the reckless Conservative plan to gut environmental protection laws in Canada—included in the Budget Implementation Act—and warned that the Conservative plan is even more severe than the government let on.

By abdicating their responsibilities to protect the environment, the Harper government has put Canada on a precipitous course that risks leading to environmental disaster. One-third of the government’s legislation is dedicated to paving the way for big oil and development projects with no regard for the environmental implications.

“It’s hard to grasp the audacity of the Harper government when it comes to the environment. With this legislation, the Conservatives are dismantling Canada’s environmental protection system and are allowing it to become a process of rubber-stamping” said NDP Environment Critic Megan Leslie (Halifax).

In addition to gutting Canada’s environmental assessment process, Stephen Harper is giving his cabinet ministers carte blanche when it comes to making decisions about major development projects. The legislation goes even further by relinquishing the federal government of their responsibility over environmental assessments by delegating them out to other authorities, including provinces.

New Democrats will continue to push for sustainable practices in Canada that balance the need for development, while preserving our precious environment for generations to come.