ACTION ALERT: Take Canada's water 'off the table'

September 13, 2007

The recent report from the Munk Centre for International Studies confirms what the Council of Canadians has been saying for years.

The report's authors state, "While there are many well-publicized statements and written documents indicating that Canada's water is not for sale, experts believe these have little or no legal force...We need federal legislation preventing the bulk removal of water from Canada's drainage basins in the event that any province is either unable or unwilling to do so."

Click here to read their full report.

Yet federal environment minister John Baird claims that Canada does have a ban on water exports and that there is no plan to sell Canada's water.

Really?

For years, the Chrétien government claimed that bulk water exports were banned, but just recently the Liberal Party introduced a new plan for Canada’s water acknowledging that a "federal ban on bulk water exports could be challenged under NAFTA or the WTO."

In April, water exports were on the table at the North American Futures 2025 project which brought together business and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico, to inform priorities for the Security Prosperity Partnership.

One of the organizers of that meeting, Armand Peschard-Sverdrup of the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, has said, "It's no secret the U.S. is going to need water. ... It's no secret that Canada is going to have an overabundance of water. At the end of the day there may have to be arrangements."

In June, Conservative Members of Parliament voted against a motion in the House of Commons "to quickly begin talks with its American and Mexican counterparts to exclude water from the scope of NAFTA."

And even the Policy Research Initiative, which in their words "conducts research in support of the Government of Canada's medium term agenda", has studied the economics of water exports, demonstrating political will to consider the idea.

DEMAND

The Council of Canadians supports the calls from the University of Toronto's Munk Centre 'On the Table' report, including:

"The SPP process, and its implications for water resources, should be open to full public scrutiny and full democratic debate.
We should know how continental integration moves already under way, such as the Alberta oil sands development, will affect our water. The full impact of the continental integration of oil, gas and electricity on the nation's water resources needs to be immediately assessed by the federal government and publicly reported annually.
The federal government should make it clear to our NAFTA partners -- formally informing the U.S. and Mexico that bulk water removals from Canada's major drainage basins will not be permitted and that the topic of water exports will be excluded from all future SPP or related discussions.
Finally, the federal government should make it clear to Canadians, too."

Click here for more information on the Council of Canadians campaign to protect Canada's water.

SAMPLE MESSAGE

Prime Minister Harper,

The 'On the Table' report from the University of Toronto's Munk Centre for International Studies confirms what the Council of Canadians has been saying for years - Canada's water is on the negotiating table and the federal government must act to prohibit bulk water exports.

I join with the Council of Canadians to demand that you:

* Take action, as the House of Commons has instructed you, to "quickly begin talks with its American and Mexican counterparts to exclude water from the scope of NAFTA."

* Tell the United States and Mexico that bulk water exports will not be permitted and that it should be excluded from all Security and Prosperity Partnership discussions.

* Implement a new National Water Policy that bans the export of water for profit, legislates strict restrictions on water diversions, and recognizes a strong federal role in the protection of this valuable resource.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Your Name

Brent Patterson, Director of Organizing and Campaigns, The Council of Canadians

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