OTTAWA - Environment Canada is at risk of losing the scientific expertise it needs to counter ecological threats and protect the country's ecosystems because of federal budget cuts, warns a new report signed by the government's environment minister.
``Due to transition alignment challenges, the department risks being unable to stay current with advances in science and technology,'' said the report on Environment Canada's plans and priorities for 2012-13 tabled in Parliament this week by Peter Kent.
``In addition, the recruitment and retention of employees who possess the essential and specific skills and knowledge required to support programs and internal services could pose difficulties, in particular due to the current fiscal environment.''
The report follows announcements over the past year that several hundred bureaucrats at Environment Canada, including scientists and policy experts, were at risk of having their positions changed or eliminated. Overall, the department has estimated it had the equivalent of 6,973 full-time employees in 2010-11 under former minister Jim Prentice, but it's projecting to decrease that total to the equivalent of 6,128 full-time employees by 2014-15.
Kent's office has previously said that budget cuts wouldn't affect the department's ability to ``conduct science and research.''
The environment minister was not immediately available for an interview, but wrote in a message posted in the report that the government ``remains firmly committed'' to providing strong leadership to protect the environment ``in a way that supports our continued economic recovery.''
``The government of Canada's focused and proactive approach towards environmental protection will further our capacity to efficiently and effectively produce results that protect Canada's environment,'' Kent wrote. ``In support of this objective, Environment Canada will continue to promote actions that help Canadians address both emerging and longstanding environmental issues that place at risk the health of Canadians and their environment, such as climate change, threats to air and water quality, and exposure to harmful chemicals.''
The budget data show that Environment Canada would reduce annual spending on efforts to conserve and restore Canada's wildlife, water resources and ecosystems from $345.8 million in 2011-12 to $270.9 million in 2014-15. Weather forecasting services would see a slight annual increase from $211 million to $217 million over the same period, but efforts to minimize ``threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution,'' including greenhouse gas emissions, would see annual funding reduced from $212.8 million to $169 million over those four years.
The report said the department was also projecting the termination of climate-change financing for developing countries, agreed to by Prime Minister Stephen Harper under the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, after 2013-14.
Overall, the department's budget is dropping from about $1.1 billion in 2008-09 to about $918 million in 2014-15.
The report also follows criticism that the government is muzzling its scientists and restricting their ability to give media interviews or speak freely about their research.
``I think It's always good for Environment Canada or people at other departments to prepare for the worst-case scenario, but it seems that this government is the worst-case scenario,'' said NDP deputy leader and environment critic Megan Leslie. ``I mean it says there in black and white that they're going to be unable to stay current in science and technology and they're going to have difficulty attracting employees who have the necessary skills and knowledge. That tells me that we're not going to have a department that has capacity in science.''
Kent's report said the department would ``take a proactive role in providing a healthy and flexible work environment, while leveraging opportunities through partnerships to allow the development of its workforce.''
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Mike De Souza
``Due to transition alignment challenges, the department risks being unable to stay current with advances in science and technology,'' said the report on Environment Canada's plans and priorities for 2012-13 tabled in Parliament this week by Peter Kent.
``In addition, the recruitment and retention of employees who possess the essential and specific skills and knowledge required to support programs and internal services could pose difficulties, in particular due to the current fiscal environment.''
The report follows announcements over the past year that several hundred bureaucrats at Environment Canada, including scientists and policy experts, were at risk of having their positions changed or eliminated. Overall, the department has estimated it had the equivalent of 6,973 full-time employees in 2010-11 under former minister Jim Prentice, but it's projecting to decrease that total to the equivalent of 6,128 full-time employees by 2014-15.
Kent's office has previously said that budget cuts wouldn't affect the department's ability to ``conduct science and research.''
The environment minister was not immediately available for an interview, but wrote in a message posted in the report that the government ``remains firmly committed'' to providing strong leadership to protect the environment ``in a way that supports our continued economic recovery.''
``The government of Canada's focused and proactive approach towards environmental protection will further our capacity to efficiently and effectively produce results that protect Canada's environment,'' Kent wrote. ``In support of this objective, Environment Canada will continue to promote actions that help Canadians address both emerging and longstanding environmental issues that place at risk the health of Canadians and their environment, such as climate change, threats to air and water quality, and exposure to harmful chemicals.''
The budget data show that Environment Canada would reduce annual spending on efforts to conserve and restore Canada's wildlife, water resources and ecosystems from $345.8 million in 2011-12 to $270.9 million in 2014-15. Weather forecasting services would see a slight annual increase from $211 million to $217 million over the same period, but efforts to minimize ``threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution,'' including greenhouse gas emissions, would see annual funding reduced from $212.8 million to $169 million over those four years.
The report said the department was also projecting the termination of climate-change financing for developing countries, agreed to by Prime Minister Stephen Harper under the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, after 2013-14.
Overall, the department's budget is dropping from about $1.1 billion in 2008-09 to about $918 million in 2014-15.
The report also follows criticism that the government is muzzling its scientists and restricting their ability to give media interviews or speak freely about their research.
``I think It's always good for Environment Canada or people at other departments to prepare for the worst-case scenario, but it seems that this government is the worst-case scenario,'' said NDP deputy leader and environment critic Megan Leslie. ``I mean it says there in black and white that they're going to be unable to stay current in science and technology and they're going to have difficulty attracting employees who have the necessary skills and knowledge. That tells me that we're not going to have a department that has capacity in science.''
Kent's report said the department would ``take a proactive role in providing a healthy and flexible work environment, while leveraging opportunities through partnerships to allow the development of its workforce.''
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Mike De Souza
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