Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May, has introduced Bill C-226. This would compel the Government to create a national strategy to address “environmental racism”.
Most Private Bills don’t become law, at least not right away. However, the content may later get slipped into larger pieces, and get passed with little to no debate. Therefore, it’s worth knowing about all the Bills that are being introduced. This one is about to enter Third Reading in the House of Commons. This could very well pass.
May’s connections with various environmental N.G.O.s has been covered previously, and is worth another look. Being a member of the Trudeau Foundation is only the beginning.
Preamble
-Whereas the Government of Canada recognizes the need to advance environmental justice across Canada and the importance of continuing to work towards eliminating racism and racial discrimination in all their forms and manifestations;
-Whereas a disproportionate number of people who live in environmentally hazardous areas are members of an Indigenous, racialized or other marginalized community;
-Whereas the establishing of environmentally hazardous sites, including landfills and polluting industries, in areas inhabited primarily by members of those communities could be considered a form of racial discrimination;
-Whereas the Government of Canada recognizes that it is important to meaningfully involve all Canadians — and, in particular, marginalized communities — in the development of environmental policy and that racial discrimination in the development of environmental policy would constitute environmental racism;
-Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to assessing and preventing environmental racism and to providing affected communities with the opportunity to participate in, among other things, finding solutions to address harm caused by environmental racism;
-And whereas the Government of Canada recognizes that collaboration and a coordinated national strategy are key to promoting effective change and achieving environmental justice;
Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
There are many problems with this, one of them being that this Bill is so vague. It seems to imply that racism is entrenched in major decisions, and that environmental harm is being used to inflict damage on certain groups. However, there are no specifics on anything within the Bill. “Environmental justice” isn’t defined either, and that’s a major part of this legislation.
It invites the option of people gaslighting with accusations of racism, done under the pretext of protecting the environment. It’s difficult to imagine that such a thing could be written like this, unless it was done: (a) to pander; or (b) to cause chaos and division.
Sources:
(1) https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bills?page=3
(2) https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-226/first-reading
(3) https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-226
(4) https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-226/first-reading
(5) https://canucklaw.ca/whos-pulling-elizabeth-mays-strings/
(6) https://elizabethmaymp.ca/
(7) https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/elizabeth-may-elected-green-party-leader-again-plans-to-co-lead-with-jonathan-pedneault-1.6160600
Private Member Bills In Current Session:
(A) Bill C-207: Creating The “Right” To Affordable Housing
(B) Bill C-219: Creating Environmental Bill Of Rights
(C) Bill C-235: Building Of A Green Economy In The Prairies
(D) Bill C-250: Imposing Prison Time For Holocaust Denial
(E) Bill C-261: Red Flag Laws For “Hate Speech”
(F) Bill C-293: Domestic Implementation Of Int’l Pandemic Treaty
(G) Bill S-243: Climate Related Finance Act, Banking Acts
(H) Bill S-248: Removing Final Consent For Euthanasia
(I) Bill S-257: Protecting Political Belief Or Activity As Human Rights