Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The division of governmental power between the federal and provin-
cial levels is a frequent source of controversy. Compared to the United
States, the system is more decentralized. Provincial governments control
public lands, and they own gigantic electric systems like Quebec Hydro
and Ontario Hydro. Municipalities control land use planning. The federal
level has narrower authority: the seacoasts, fisheries, shipping and native
people. In addition, the provinces all have their own agencies. In Ontario
the Ministry of the Environment sets the standards for pollutants, issues
certificates for industrial facilities, oversees pesticides, and cleans up after
spills. Other ministries in the province concerned with protection are
those for natural resources, agriculture, municipal affairs, health, energy
and transportation. In Quebec the Ministry of Sustainable Development,
the Environment and Parks is the key agency, and in British Columbia
it is the Ministry of Environment. The environmental ministers of the
10 provinces meet at least annually in their Council, joined by the federal
minister and ministers from the territories. The council works by consen-
sus, under the assumption that voting, bargaining, and majority rule is
not consensus.
Canadian national government follows the Westminster system copied
from the British. The prime minister and his cabinet are selected by parlia-
ment by the party (or coalition of parties) that has a majority. The House
of Commons is far more powerful than the Senate, which is not elected
and does little. The environmental ministers are elected members of
Commons. For most of its history, Canada had a two-party system: the
Liberals and the (old) Conservatives. This is a consequence of the electoral
system of single member districts. Victory goes to the “first past the post.”
Occasionally, a third party has won enough votes to become the balance of
power. At the time, Parliament passed the law establishing Environment
Canada in 1970, three political parties were represented: the Liberals, the
Conservatives, and the small New Democrats. All supported environmen-
tal programs, differing mostly on style.
A major change in the two-party system occurred suddenly in the
1988 election when the Conservative Party totally collapsed, going from a
majority of 169 out of 295 to only two in 1993. The Liberals won 177 seats.
Two new parties were the Reform and the Bloc Québécois. The latter was
only from that province and advocated greater autonomy or perhaps inde-
pendence. The Liberals won again in 1997 and 2000. In 2004 the Liberals
failed to gain a majority but continued to govern with a minority. A new
Green Party ran candidates for all 308 seats, but did not win any, although
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