Canada: New Act to Tighten Water Exports
Description
On May 13th 2010, the Canadian government introduced the Transboundary Waters Protection Act, which strengthens prohibitions on bulk removal of Canada’s water outside the country.
The new act would strengthen existing protections by bringing waters within federal jurisdiction under a more comprehensive prohibition against bulk water removals. Rivers and streams that cross international borders would receive the same protection already in place for waters, such as the Great Lakes, that straddle them. The bill would give Ottawa new powers of inspection and enforcement and introduces fines of up to $6 million for corporate violations.
The only exception to the bulk water prohibition would be to fight forest fires across the border.
The Parliament reinstated the Bill on 26 March 2011 for the last time (40th Parliament, 3rd session) and it has never received the approval of the Parliament.
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | No |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | No |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | No |
| Was such evidence identified? | No |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | No |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | No |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | No |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | No |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? | No |
Date Discovered: 14/05/2010
Implemented: No
Date of inception:
GTA Evaluation: Amber
Source:
Parliament of Canada:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp?Language=E&Session=...
New item from thestar.com: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/808848--ottawa-tightens-ban-o...
Parliament of Canada, Status of the Bill: http://www.parl.gc.ca/LEGISINFO/BillDetails.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&billI...
Government Response:
- 707 reads
