Author Archives: CanucksBanter
B.C. spill advisory committee dominated by industry
August 26, 2013 http://www.bcndp.ca
VICTORIA — While briefing documents show the province’s oil spill response regime is already inadequate, the B.C. Liberal response is to stack the advisory committee tasked with fixing it with representatives from the oil industry, say B.C.’s New Democrats.
“Before the election, the Liberals claimed that diverse stakeholders would be involved in oil spill response preparedness planning, and even invited a broad range of groups to participate in a symposium on the issue,” said New Democrat environment critic Spencer Chandra Herbert. “Yet now, after the election, it’s a different story: with the exception of First Nations representation, their advisory groups are almost entirely composed of people promoting the industry they are meant to be regulating.”
Documents obtained from the environment ministry by New Democrats show that the government’s oil spill advisory committee and working groups are heavily dominated by the oil industry, with 80 per cent of the members of the advisory committee, and nearly everyone on the three working groups, representing oil industry interests.
“The government is allowing the oil industry to dominate the discussion, when a major spill would devastate not only our environment but other key industries like fishing and tourism, whose interests should be represented at the table,” said Chandra Herbert.
Chandra Herbert also raised concerns about briefing materials prepared for the new environment minister and revealed through a freedom of information request this week showing the province is ill-equipped to handle even a moderate spill. Ministry officials warn that the province “is not adequately staffed and resourced to meet the existing and emerging expectations to address spills,” and suggest that even a moderate-sized spill “would overwhelm the province’s ability to respond and could result in a significant liability for government.”
“How long has the government known that it is unable to respond to oil spills in this province? How do they square this with their continued assurances about industry safety? And what are they doing to advocate for better resources from Ottawa?” asked Chandra Herbert.
“When it comes to sustainable development, this government hasn’t delivered on its promises, and their oil spill response program is another sad example. Again and again, they have failed to stand up for our environment.”
New Democrats are calling on the government to fulfill its promise of sustainable development, starting with a strong spill response regime that protects the interests of all British Columbians.
Members of the advisory committee and the three advisory groups can be found at the link below:
Thomas Mulcair says that controversial Quebec secularism bill is a ‘non-starter’
Jennifer Ditchburn, Canadian Press | 13/08/26
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair visits the Nova Scotia legislature in Halifax on Monday, Aug. 26, 2013. Mulcair has come out against the “principal” of the leaked Quebec secularism proposal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew VaughanFederal
OTTAWA — Another federal politician is venturing into the turbulent debate over religious freedom and Quebec’s proposed secular charter.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair had earlier avoided commenting on the so-called charter of Quebec values, calling it a trial balloon.
A leaked media report — which the Parti Quebecois government has not denied — said the charter would ban public employees from wearing religious head coverings and other religious symbols at work.
Mulcair now says he opposes anything that might scapegoat certain kinds of Quebecers.
“I don’t want to see scapegoating, particularly of Muslim women,” Mulcair told reporters on Parliament Hill on Monday.
“That seems to be one of the particular targets here. So we’ll wait and see what’s in it.”
Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois says a charter of values will unite Quebecers. A Leger Marketing poll released this week suggests a majority of Quebecers support the idea behind such a charter, although nearly half also think it will create divisions.
Mulcair and most of his caucus come from Quebec ridings — a fact that might explain his reluctance to come out too strongly against the proposals.
He says he won’t support legislation that goes against the recommendations of a 2008 provincial commission on accommodating cultural communities.
That commission recommended that judges, police officers and others in the legal or law enforcement arenas be barred from wearing religious symbols, but exempted teachers, doctors and other public servants.
“If there’s anything in what Madame Marois is proposing that goes against that, then for us it’s an absolute non-starter and we will stand up strongly against it,” said Mulcair. “But we haven’t seen the text of anything yet. So rather than going against something that we haven’t seen, we’ll simply state the principle.”
If there’s anything in what Madame Marois is proposing that goes against that, then for us it’s an absolute non-starter and we will stand up strongly against it
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has been more direct in his criticism of the secularization charter, saying it would promote fear of others and is unworthy of the province.
So far, the Conservative government has said very little about the issue, calling it a provincial matter.
But senior figures in the government did oppose a Quebec soccer league’s ban on turbans earlier this year. The Tories also speak out frequently on protecting religious freedom internationally — Foreign Affairs John Baird underlined that distinction Monday.
“I think one of the things that we made very clear when we launched the office of religious freedom within the Department of Foreign Affairs was that my mandate is strictly outside of the country,” Baird told reporters in Toronto.
“So I’m going to repeat that obviously I’m a big believer in freedom, I’m a big believer in freedom everywhere, but the mandate that I have is in Foreign Affairs.”
The Quebec government has not formally released the details of the proposed charter, but Marois trumpeted it over the weekend.
“We’re moving forward in the name of all the women, all the men, who chose Quebec for our culture, for our freedom, and for our diversity,” she said Sunday at a gathering of young PQ members in Quebec City.
Competition among Canada’s goaltenders unusually wide open
CUPE launches ad campaign to avert strike in public schools
Aug 25, 2013 http://cupe.ca http://cupe.bc.ca/
BURNABY—CUPE’s education workers will launch a radio and television advertising campaign on Monday focused on building support for the union members’ work to keep BC’s schools clean, safe, and inclusive.
“We’ve made every effort to bargain a fair and reasonable settlement with the employers, but their lack of preparation is threatening to disrupt classes this fall,” said Mark Hancock, CUPE-BC President.
CUPE education workers’ collective agreements throughout the province expired over a year ago. Previous negotiations in spring 2013 were derailed when it became clear that government had not given the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) a mandate to reach a settlement.
BCPSEA is now directly controlled by the BC government, but it was not prepared for the latest round of bargaining in August when talks broke off for a third time.
“If the government doesn’t show a commitment to bargaining, our members will take full-scale job action,” said Colin Pawson, Chair of the BC K-12 Presidents’ Council. “They’re frustrated that we’ve had three false starts to negotiating, and the clock is ticking.”
It has been more than four years since the education assistants, clerical staff, trades, custodians, bus drivers and other education workers represented by CUPE have received a wage increase. Virtually all of the 57 CUPE locals representing education workers have had positive strike votes.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents more than 27,000 education BC workers in the K-12 system.
To hear the radio ad, please visit here.
To view the TV ad, please visit here.
For more information, please contact:
Ian Boyko
Communications Representative
604-291-1940 (ext. 262)
Andrew Phillip Chernoff 