Green Coalition ready to fight for our environmental heritage
There must be no attempt to re-instate the anti-environmental features of the old proposal for Bill 61
On June 11, 2020, the Green Coalition, with the support of the Legacy Fund for the Environment, sent a mise en demeure to the Legault government demanding that it withdraw the anti-environmental clauses from its proposed legislation Bill 61.
On August 19, 2020, the Legault government withdrew Bill 61 as a result of the pressure from the Green Coalition, a number of other environmental groups, several official regulatory agencies and petitions supported by large numbers of people in civil society.
The former proposal for Bill 61 constituted an illegal abrogation of the right of all Quebeckers to a healthy environment. Instead of protecting the environment, the government was putting it up for sale.
The Coalition remains determined and resolute in its commitment to defend our environment and it will stand firm. And it is also important to recall its objections to the original legislative proposal.
The former proposal for Bill 61 constituted an illegal abrogation of the right of all Quebeckers to a healthy environment. Instead of protecting the environment, the government was putting it up for sale. The bill continued the process of dismantling environmental protections initiated by the government with its Regulation respecting the supervision of activities according to their impact on the environment. In particular, Bill 61:
- unilaterally suspended certain provisions of the Loi sur la qualité de l’environnement at the discretion of the Minister ;
. - did not at any time include the right of the public to be informed or to participate in the debate ;
. - granted the Minister the exclusive and arbitrary right to establish the amount of financial compensation for projects relating to flora, fish and wildlife habitats ;
. - did not allow the Minister to discuss projects, but only to impose conditions on them.
The Quebec government in the person of Minister Sonia Lebel has now indicated that it intends to bring forward a new piece of legislation to replace the defunct Bill 61.
The Green Coalition is putting the government on notice: it will never accept the destruction of environmental regulations, nor their suspension – under any circumstances.
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be the destruction of Quebec’s environment!
If the new legislative proposal contains the same anti-environmental measures, the Green Coalition reserves its right to act legally to protect the environment.
‘The Green Coalition is putting the government on notice: it will never accept the destruction of environmental regulations, nor their suspension – under any circumstances.’
The Legacy Fund for the Environment, with all of its expertise, is with the Coalition. Citizens are with the Coalition. The people of Quebec will not allow the destruction of their very own environment.
The Coalition’s message is straightforward: there must be no attempt to re-instate the anti-environmental features of the old proposal for Bill 61. The Green Coalition is ready to struggle to the utmost to protect our environmental heritage.
For further information contact Patrick Barnard at 514 463-0573 or pbarnard@videotron.ca
Feature image: marneejill via StockPholio.net
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The Green Coalition is a non-profit association of groups and individuals with a mandate to promote the conservation, protection and restoration of the environment and the wise use of green and blue spaces.
Very pleased that the government withdrew Bill 61 as the result of the Green Coalition and other public pressure. As governments often place “job creation” ahead of “environmental protection” in order of their priorities we must remain ever vigilant when it comes to protecting our environmental heritage. Truly progressive governments would link the two.
Westmount Magazine is providing an essential service by keeping all of us informed and up to date about the state of environmental stewardship — or non-stewardship — in Quebec. It is likely that the pernicious elements in the defunct Bill #61 will re-appear. In Ontario indigenous groups are warning citizens about the attack on the environment contained in Ford’s latest omnibus bill. And indigenous groups in Quebec are nervously watching what will come after the death of Bill #61. The Green Coalition, at this time, is performing a central advocacy role.
Congratulations, WESTMOUNT MAG! You are informing Montrealers about the Legault government’s moves to seize unlimited power to expropriate land in order to accelerate development…The cost ? More environmental degradation. Even the hard-won nature parks and national parks are at risk if the government brings back the same anti-environment thrust as Bill 61 – in a new guise. The efforts to conserve Nature over the last 40 years could be undone.
Sylvia Oljemark Montreal
Kudos to the always impressive Green Coalition and to Westmount Magazine for keeping us up to date on one of the most important files – the environment.
If the Government is having problems moving its projects forward; then it’s their problem. There are hundreds of projects sitting in the MTQ and other ministries, for decades, that have not been brought to the detail proposal stage. I won’t get into the reasons why this is so but I will say that if a project can be brought to a proposal stage then even some of the environmental work can be done before presentation. The excuse ‘well it takes too long’ is disingenuous at best because the projects are there but are just gathering dust.