How it went in Parliament: C-311 & C-474 passed!
Well. The outcome of yesterday's votes on bill C-474: proposed Seeds Regulation Act and bill C-311: Climate Change Accountability Act were both excellent, from a citizen's point of view: for C-474 the vote passed 153 to 134, and C-311 passed 155-137.
Discussion and voting records for both are in the Hansard, which I encourage all interested souls to read: there is so much said and so little reported on matters which affect all of us.
For bill C-474, here's another place to look to see how your MP voted, so you can drop them a line of thanks or supply them with more improving reading, as the case may warrant. As you will note, a great many (but not all!!) of the Conservatives do not really seem to have a clear grasp of the ramifications of GMO products on international trade, and I hope you will all make sure you explain it to them, loudly. Because you can be very certain the biotech companies will be whispering in their other ear.
Passing this motion means the bill is going to committee for further study and amendments. The Standing Committee Members on Agriculture and Agri-Food will be deliberating the matter further. If your MP is on this committee and voted against the bill, they would benefit from an extra helping of information from you, as there will be strong lobbying coming from the opponents of this bill: they have a lot of money riding on it (we have only our health and future).
Likewise, your MP will benefit from knowing more about your opionions on the Climate Change Accountability Act, and what more you would like to see done in the way of a plan for Canada to meet its climate change obligations. C-311 sets and enforces national emission targets, but it leaves the preparation of plans to meet those targets to the Minister of the Environment. If Mr Harper's government does not hear from us, they can go on saying that they are acting in all our interests. Which just isn't so...
Discussion and voting records for both are in the Hansard, which I encourage all interested souls to read: there is so much said and so little reported on matters which affect all of us.
For bill C-474, here's another place to look to see how your MP voted, so you can drop them a line of thanks or supply them with more improving reading, as the case may warrant. As you will note, a great many (but not all!!) of the Conservatives do not really seem to have a clear grasp of the ramifications of GMO products on international trade, and I hope you will all make sure you explain it to them, loudly. Because you can be very certain the biotech companies will be whispering in their other ear.
Passing this motion means the bill is going to committee for further study and amendments. The Standing Committee Members on Agriculture and Agri-Food will be deliberating the matter further. If your MP is on this committee and voted against the bill, they would benefit from an extra helping of information from you, as there will be strong lobbying coming from the opponents of this bill: they have a lot of money riding on it (we have only our health and future).
Likewise, your MP will benefit from knowing more about your opionions on the Climate Change Accountability Act, and what more you would like to see done in the way of a plan for Canada to meet its climate change obligations. C-311 sets and enforces national emission targets, but it leaves the preparation of plans to meet those targets to the Minister of the Environment. If Mr Harper's government does not hear from us, they can go on saying that they are acting in all our interests. Which just isn't so...
Labels: Bill C-311, Bill C-474
posted by Rhona McAdam at 7:30 a.m.
4 Comments:
Thanks for the link to the voting.
I emailed thank you the presenters.
Ofcourse I had previously urged MP LUNN to support these bills knowing that he wouldn't but I will takeup your suggestion and tell him how disappointed I am about his NAY!
All the best for your educational work with Mr Lunn. He surely needs to hear from "his" people to learn how to represent you better; I have come to believe it is our jobs as citizens to teach our politicians what we know, because they don't have time to know it all. And they are often, as in the case of Conservatives, being misled by big business and their own party.
So much said and so little reported. Alas. Too true.
Naturally, my head-up-his-hymnal MP cares nothing about the earth or its future, so of course voted nay, or was that neigh. This, despite his incessant family-photo-sharing through endless paper-wasting mail-outs. I'm not sure attempts to educate him would be of any value, beyond typing practice for me. How's that for a disheartened response? Keep up the good fight, Rhona.
I'm feeling contrary. And a tiny bit hopeful. I say we can but keep writing.
If we don't, who will?
(And anyway, my typing still needs improvement...)
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