From The Office Of Peter Stoffer MP – December, 2009

Sackville River Pollution Damage

It is very unfortunate that hundreds of litres of furnace oil recently flowed into the Little Sackville River as a result of the careless actions of vandals. Walter Regan, president of the Sackville Rivers, confirmed that the oil spill will adversely affect the ecosystem and kill Atlantic salmon eggs, bugs, various fish species, and other aquatic organisms. I have written the Department of Fisheries and Oceans asking them to provide assistance to the Sackville Rivers Association with the costs of restocking the river.

Since 1988, volunteers with the Sackville Rivers Association have spent countless hours rehabilitating and restoring the Sackville River and its tributaries. They have also coordinated many education and conservation projects within the watershed and involved hundreds of local students in their fish stocking programs. While this is an unfortunate setback for the health of the river and our community, I know that plans are already underway for restoration projects. This speaks to the strength and dedication of our local community and volunteers with the Sackville Rivers Association.

Need for National Clean Water Strategy

Clean drinking water is something many of us take for granted. But for many communities in Canada, access to clean water can be difficult. Last year, close to 1800 communities in Canada faced boil water orders and as of October 31, 2009, there were 124 First Nations communities across Canada under a Drinking Water Advisory.

New Democrats are calling on the federal government to develop and implement a National Water Strategy that would improve water quality monitoring and the enforcement of water quality standards. All Canadians should have clean, safe water in their homes and communities.

As well, New Democrats have called for a ban on bulk fresh water exports from Canada by federal law. We need to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to ensure that water is not defined as a good or a service under the agreement and that bulk water exports are excluded from the deal.

Canada Lagging behind on Climate Change Action

Last month, I wrote about the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, both the Liberals and Conservatives voted to keep Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act, in a parliamentary committee until after Copenhagen. This bill, introduced by my New Democrat colleague Bruce Hyer, would impose legally binding, achievable reduction targets and ensure that Canada’s actions would be on par with other nations. It is very disappointing that Canada will be seen as a laggard on establishing any real targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Changes Needed to New Sacrifice Medal

Last month, the Governor General presented 46 Sacrifice Medals to members of the Canadian Forces (CF) and their families who were wounded or killed by hostile action. The medal is awarded to any member of the CF who served on or after October 7, 2001 and is also awarded posthumously.

While I am pleased that the government has created a new medal to honour the sacrifices of members of the Canadian Forces, I have written the Minister of National Defence to urge him to expand the eligibility for the new medal. By restricting eligibility to those who served on or after October 7, 2001, the department has left out many service men and women who served in conflicts like Bosnia, Africa, and the Middle East and sustained injuries or died. These men and women should also be honoured with this medal. I suggest that the criteria for this medal should be expanded to include the men and women who served in conflicts after the Korean War, 1953.

All the Best for the Holiday Season

On behalf of my wife Andrea, my family, and my staff, I wish you the very best for the holiday season and in the New Year.
As always, please contact me regarding any of your concerns or comments. I can be reached at 861-2311 or toll free at 1-888-701-5557