Paddler's Guide to Happy Camping

NWPA Still A Major Concern

• Posted on March 9, 2009 at 8:00 PM
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Here's an update on the Navigable Waters Protection Act sent to me this past weekend by the Canadian Rivers Network. This darn thing is still heating up and not yet resolved. Have a look:

Hi:

A quick update on Bill C-10 and the proposed amendments to the NWPA:

• The NDP lead the opposition to C-10 in the house and pushed for the removal the NWPA amendments and all of the non-budget elements of the bill, the Bloc also very strongly opposed the amendments

• The Liberals fully supported C-10 in the House and spoke loudly and strongly in defense of the bill, dismissing the importance of the public right of navigation in relation to economic conditions

• The House of Commons has passed third reading to the bill with the NWPA amendments intact

• Michael Ignatieff last week announced that he was going to encourage the Senate to pass it quickly with no amendments

• The bill has passed 2nd reading in the Senate and is now before the Senate National Finance committee for review

Our efforts to connect with members of the Senate and express our concerns about the impact of the NWPA amendments on the ancient right of public navigation in Canada have met with some success.

Joseph Day, Chair of the Senate National Finance committee spoke on the CBC Radio program The House Saturday about the need to remove the NWPA amendments and all of the non-budget items from C-10.

You can listen to the transcript of Senator Day's interview through this link:

http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/thehouse_20090307_12792.mp3

NEXT STEPS

We need to encourage members of the Senate National Finance committee to put the brakes on the NWPA amendments and other non-budget items in C-10 and remove them from the bill so that proper public consultation can take place.

WATCH FOR OUR ACTION ALERT

We will be distributing an action alert TODAY under a separate email, explaining how you can help us in this very important next phase of the campaign.

THANKS

Thank you for all your efforts. This is a very difficult issue. The is huge momentum built up in the move to make these monumental changes to the NWPA and the remove the ancient public right of navigation in Canada.

In our view, it is unconscionable that the Liberals and Conservatives, the two senior national political parties in this country, seem to be collaborating so fully and so completely in this effort to eliminate a historic public right. In our view this is an extreme breach of public trust.

Fundamental democratic principles are being undermined here.

A modern democracy simply do not erase the ancient public rights of its citizens with such brazen disregard, and with zero consultation or consideration of the impacts.

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Canadian Rivers Network www.ispeakforcanadianrivers.ca