From Brent Patterson at the Council of Canadians:

Martin Mittelstaedt recently wrote in the Globe and Mail about a number of NAFTA Chapter 11 cases. He writes, “claims that environmental rules are tantamount to expropriation are the single largest source of complaints under the provision, amounting to about 40 per cent of the 24 cases filed against Ottawa…Four cases based on environment-related rules were filed last year, the highest annual total since the trade pact began in 1994.”

He lists “NAFTA challenges to Canadian environmental regulations” as:

1. Ethyl Corp. over a gasoline additive. The dispute, begun in 1997, settled for about $13-million (U.S.).

Irving Oil making its case in Ottawa
Rob Linke, Telegraph-Journal, Published Tuesday March 31st, 2009
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/620239

OTTAWA - Irving Oil's plans for a second refinery appear unlikely to unfold in a political vacuum, given the company's efforts to get attention from the federal government.

Eider Rock is Irving Oil's proposed second refinery.

With total investment estimated at $8-billion, it would be the largest single private sector project in Atlantic Canadian history.

Irving Oil representatives have met five times this year with senior federal officials, including the country's top civil servant, Kevin Lynch, clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the federal cabinet.

CBC, February 24, 2009

"The premiers of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are scheduled to sign an agreement on Tuesday in both Fredericton and Halifax that they say will bring down inter-provincial trade barriers....This deal comes as provincial governments have been talking for years about eliminating restrictions on trade between provinces, a subject that has been a major source of discussion at the last several premiers conferences...The two premiers are calling it a "Partnership Agreement on Regulation and the Economy."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/02/24/

February 15, 2009
Posted by David Parker to the Dominion Weblogs
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/weblogs/david_parker/2489

HALIFAX - It was a cold winter's day nearing Christmas, and not much was stirring on the streets of Halifax. In front of the Provincial Court on Spring Garden Road, a group of people huddled together, entering the court for a long-awaited trial date. On December 22, 2008, four Haligonians took the stand and testified in front of a judge to a courtroom packed with supporters.

The defendants had been charged a year and a half earlier after hundreds took to the streets of downtown Halifax on June 15, 2007, to oppose a regional integration proposal known as Atlantica. Charges included carrying weapons, wearing masks with intent, unlawful assembly, and resisting arrest.

Commentary, Telegraph-Journal, Published Monday February 16th, 2009
Tracy Glynn and Jean-Claude Basque
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/573545

Premier Shawn Graham opened his State of the Province speech with what he called his three Es: "the economy, the economy, the economy." With no magic ruby red slippers to export him out of the overused proverbial economic storm, he continued to promote the same neo-liberal policies that got us all stuck in this free market nightmare.

Photo: Danny Legere, of CUPE New Brunswick, leads protesters against public/private partnerships, as they occupied the lawn in front of the legislature prior to the Speech from the Throne ceremony in Fredericton last spring.

-Larry Lack
St. Andrews

A front page article in the Courier Weekend for 19 December ("No Quick Answers for Quarry") provides readers with an outline of the process the province plans to use in deciding whether to allow the Jamer Materials quarry in Bayside to expand across Route 127 and mine gravel from the area around the spectacular nature trails and lookouts gracing Simpson Hill.

The article informs us that, after an internal review by the provincial environment department and a public hearing, the final decision about whether the quarry will be allowed to cross the road will be made by the Environment Minister.

Excerpts of a letter to Premier Graham

STRATIS GAVARIS
St. Andrews

Residents expect they have influence about matters that affect the lifestyle of their communities. There can be divergent opinions. Elected representatives are there to bring a balance, determining what is best for the common good.

Lack of government leadership about the Bayside controversy is creating conflict. The province engaged Jamer to expand the port. What happened to the plan?

Most other commercial traffic at the port has disappeared. Jamer has applied to expand and continue to operate a quarry. Ministers have not been candid about developments.

By Ryan Jess

This region is getting hit again. That was the main message that was heard loud and clear in the January 22nd issue of 'The Tribune' To add insult to injury the message landed on the same day as a five cent increase in the price of gas raising it to .82/L. On both of these problems I have seen people pointing their fingers in the vague direction of our Provincial and Federal governments. Could they really be that bad? Could they really be masterminding a plot to turn our area into an economic wasteland all the while making sure that we are paying extravagant prices for the cheapest oil prices in eight years? Accusations such as these are shared by many people within our region. Personally, I stand by our elected officials of both the Federal and Provincial variety, because I know that they are currently working on a plan to get rid of these problems forever.

The Globe and Mail reported that "Ottawa is moving to speed up the process for building roads, bridges and other job-rich public-works projects - pledging to slim down excessive environmental requirements and asking provinces to supplement construction that would help native Canadians."

The article continues, "Federal sources added that they have asked the provinces to supplement work on native reserves with provincial projects. Ottawa has a long list of schools, treatment plants, multipurpose facilities and other projects that could be built on reserves across the country, reducing the huge unemployment rate in those areas. However, because reserves are on federal land, provinces are reluctant to take part. Nonetheless, Ottawa is asking them to spend money in related areas. For example, if the federal government were to construct a water treatment plant on a reserve, it might ask the provincial government to pay for water lines that are connected to a neighbouring town."

The January 9, 2009 edition of the Telegraph-Journal is reporting that the Downeast LNG proposal is back on the table with the U.S. Coast Guard approving tankers as long as three football fields to carry liquefied natural gas through Passamaquoddy Bay to a proposed LNG terminal in Maine. Canada has opposed the tanker traffic in this region because of the bay's narrow and tricky Head Harbour Passage, a position Prime Minister Stephen Harper reiterated in talks with U. S. President George W. Bush in 2007.

Read more: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/534769