By Harinder Mahil
When the federal finance minister Jim Flaherty presented his 2012 budget he stated that the government will save billions through administrative efficiencies and that the public will not notice any cuts to government services. He said that the cuts will be made by merging “back office functions” and reducing “overhead costs”.
For the last few months many federal government departments, including Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are undergoing significant cuts which will impair our ability to accurately assess and evaluate threats to the environment, health and food safety.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his recent visit to British Columbia on August 7 replied to a reporter’s question and stated that science, not politics, will determine whether pipeline megaprojects are built through B.C. to deliver Alberta’s oil to Asia. Documents now show that the federal government department responsible for some of the risk assessments does not have the capacity to conduct the research necessary because of government cuts.
The Globe and Mail reported on August 19, 2012 that the documents filed with the National Energy Board show the environmental review panel studying the Northern Gateway project asked the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for risk assessments for the bodies of water the proposed pipeline will cross. The pipeline is to cross nearly 1,000 streams and rivers in the upper Fraser, Skeena and Kitimat watersheds. The DFO was unable to provide the risk assessments.
“As DFO has not conducted a complete review of all proposed crossings, we are unable to submit a comprehensive list as requested; however, this work will continue and, should the project be approved, our review will continue into the regulatory permitting phase,” DFO wrote in a letter dated June 6, 2012.
Many critics believe there is no time for the research to be completed before a federal deadline for the environmental assessment currently underway.
The press has reported that the Harper’s government has washed its hands of environmental assessments of nearly 500 projects in B.C. as a result of a revised Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. These changes were brought in as part of the 2012 budget bill.
The changes will allow the government to approve various projects without any objective research about the impact of the projects on the environment.
We need scientific oversight to prevent disasters such as the sickness and death that occurred from contaminated water in Walkerton, Ontario, when cuts were made to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment under the Conservatives government of Mike Harris.
Programs that monitor water and air quality, the ozone layer and food safety ensure that our environment and health are protected. These and other government services contribute to a healthy environment that we all depend on.
Public services including environmental serves are part of the very fabric of Canada. They support a better quality of life for all Canadians and they contribute to our healthy lifestyles.
The federal government should reverse its plan to cut billions of dollars out of public services while continuing to hand out massive tax cuts to profitable corporations.
Harinder Mahil is a human rights activist and is a board member of the Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.
