Steady Assault on National Round Table on Environment and Economy

OTTAWA -- Canada's national mechanism to analyze and promote sustainable development, created by an Act of Parliament in 1993 (National Round Table on the Economy and the Environment Act) by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney has faced steady down-grading under Prime Minister Harper.

The first blow was made when Harper appointed his first Cabinet.  Rona Ambrose's letter of appointment as Environment Minister included a change, The National Round Table on the Economy and the Environment (NRTEE) would no longer report to the Prime Minister, but to the Environment Minister.  The NRTEE continues to try to provide good advice, including reports that embraced the importance of putting a price on carbon, including through fiscal reform, ie. a carbon tax. Now the NRTEE will be cut by almost 1/3 of its membership.  The members of the NRTEE have historically represented leaders from the environmental movement, corporate Canada, First Nations and academics.

Green Party leader, Elizabeth May, herself a former Vice-Chair of the NRTEE, said, "This move has nothing to do with fiscal responsibility.  These appointments are not paid positions.  Members receive a small per diem for attending meetings and for travel.  The value of the NRTEE is in its multi-stakeholder, consensus advice."

"Canada lost a number of important advisory agencies when the NRTEE was created.  The Economic Council, Science Council and the Environmental Advisory Committee, which advised the Minister of Environment, all were shut down with the promise that the NRTEE could provide that advice.  This latest move sends a further signal that Prime Minister Harper does not want anyone's advice on anything  -- especially not advice he will never accept to take real action on the climate crisis."

The budget also ended funding for research into the climate crisis. The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences has had no new funding under the Harper Government. This year, the original investment will run out, research will collapse and the best and the brightest will leave Canada for countries that actually invest in science.

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Related Budget Response: Budget 2010

Contact Information:
Debra Eindiguer
Press Secretary
C: 613.240.8921
media@greenparty.ca
www.greenparty.ca