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No Help for Beleagered Environment in 2012 Budget

The list of strikes against the environment is significant in this budget.

Ottawa (30 March 2012) - Departmental cuts are there and were expected: Environment Canada - 6%, Parks Canada - 4%, Fisheries and Oceans - 4%, and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) 9%. The hit to CIDA is mention due to their environmental work overseas in sustainable agriculture and climate impact mitigation.

The words “climate change” do not appear in the budget at all. There is $99 million to assist municipalities with flooding, but no mention that increased flooding will occur due to climate change.

But there's more

Frustrated by delays in the approval of the Enbridge pipeline, this budget claims to streamline the environmental review process. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) will be tinkered with to allow government to prioritize big economic projects over environmental protection. Fixed timelines will definately curtail the public voice, but we have yet to see the full details and the full impacts of these changes.

Along the theme of shutting down the public voice, the budget gives greater powers to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to suspend charities pursuing polical activities. Organizations that call attention to environmental concerns must now be doubly careful that their activities aren't misconstrued as political when they are simply in the public interest.

Finally, the National Round Table on the Environment and Economy (NRTEE) has been completely gutted. The NRTEE is an organization, arms length from the government that convenes opinion leaders and experts to advise the government and provide realistic ideas and practical solutions with regards to the environment and the economy. This is another opposing voice that has been silenced by the Harper government.

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