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January 28, 2002
The Hon. David Anderson, P.C., M.P.
Minister of the Environment
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Re: Species at Risk Bill
Dear Sir:
The National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) acknowledges with thanks
your detailed answer (January 23, 2002) to its continuing concerns about
protecting the integrity of Canada's water as expressed in the Policy
Updated in the 2001 NCWC Annual Brief.
In 1998, NCWC members urged the Government of Canada to take action to
protect Canada's endangered species (98.3 Ensuring Bio-security/Bio-diversity
for Canada). In 2000, members were pleased that you had proposed a strong
"species at Risk " Bill.
However, NCWC was dismayed by the decision to delegate the actual listings
of endangered species to a committee of politicians. NCWC does not doubt
the intelligence and dedication of politicians but does question their
qualifications to be the sole arbiters on such a complex and difficult
question. It is therefore preferable that there be expert opinion on endangered
species present on such a committee, and that the traditional knowledge
of Canada's Aboriginal peoples be part of the decision-making process.
NCWC members are also alarmed that the published plans of oil and gas
companies to exploit northern reservoirs of oil and gas threaten potential
destruction of extremely fragile Eco-systems over a large area of Northern
Canada thereby endangered some species at risk.
National Council of Women of Canada therefore supports the Species at
Risk Bill and asks for its early enactment.
NCWC is a national non-partisan federation of voluntary organizations
working together since 1893 to improve conditions of life for women, families
and communities.
Sincerely,
Catharine Laidlaw-Sly
President;
National Council of Women of Canada
Cc: The Right Hon. Jean Chrétien
The Hon. Herb Dhaliwal
The Hon. Charles Caccia
Rev. Bill Blaikie
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