Is Brian Gallant's NB Govt dismantling our water protection
Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 10:22 amIs Brian Gallant's Government dismantling our water protection behind closed doors?
[ http://canadians.org/blog/brian-gallant ... osed-doors ]
March 16, 2017 - 12:12 pm
After 4 hours of waiting in the lobby of the Department of Environment and Local Government, it was clear that my written request to Minister Serge Rousselle to attend the March 14th meeting of the Water Strategy Working Group would not be granted. And when I spoke with Environment official Lesley Rogers that morning, she confirmed that there would be no transcripts of these meetings.
The previous day, Deputy Minister Kelli Simmonds responded by e-mail, without cc to the Minister, that the members of the Working Group were already set and that "it would not be appropriate for you to attend the working group meetings". I will keep asking for a written answer from the Minister to explain this decision. Council of Canadians is recognized across this country as a leading advocate for the protection of fresh water. Certainly a representative from our Fredericton chapter should not be turned away from the above meeting.
The protection of our drinking water and communities in New Brunswick is under siege. Calls for an open and transparent process to implement and enforce the water testing and water classification regulation have gone unanswered for several years. And the Brian Gallant government is now conducting closed-door meetings to replace the existing Water Classification Regulation, legislation that they claim is "unenforceable".
This raises many troubling questions:
MORE:
[ http://canadians.org/blog/brian-gallant ... osed-doors ]
Mark D'Arcy
New Brunswick Energy East campaigner
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/mark-darcy ]
[ http://canadians.org/blog/brian-gallant ... osed-doors ]
March 16, 2017 - 12:12 pm
After 4 hours of waiting in the lobby of the Department of Environment and Local Government, it was clear that my written request to Minister Serge Rousselle to attend the March 14th meeting of the Water Strategy Working Group would not be granted. And when I spoke with Environment official Lesley Rogers that morning, she confirmed that there would be no transcripts of these meetings.
The previous day, Deputy Minister Kelli Simmonds responded by e-mail, without cc to the Minister, that the members of the Working Group were already set and that "it would not be appropriate for you to attend the working group meetings". I will keep asking for a written answer from the Minister to explain this decision. Council of Canadians is recognized across this country as a leading advocate for the protection of fresh water. Certainly a representative from our Fredericton chapter should not be turned away from the above meeting.
The protection of our drinking water and communities in New Brunswick is under siege. Calls for an open and transparent process to implement and enforce the water testing and water classification regulation have gone unanswered for several years. And the Brian Gallant government is now conducting closed-door meetings to replace the existing Water Classification Regulation, legislation that they claim is "unenforceable".
This raises many troubling questions:
MORE:
[ http://canadians.org/blog/brian-gallant ... osed-doors ]
Mark D'Arcy
New Brunswick Energy East campaigner
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/mark-darcy ]