Dewar Announces Water Strategy And Commits To Banning Bulk Water Exports

Dewar receives the endorsement of leading environmentalists

OTTAWA – Today NDP leadership candidate Paul Dewar announced a 5-point water strategy to protect Canada’s water resources and promote the right to water. Front and centre in the plan is the commitment that a government led by Paul Dewar will ban bulk water exports.

Upon announcing his water strategy, Mr. Dewar’s plan and leadership bid was endorsed by two of Canada’s leading environmentalists: Tony Clarke, long-time environmental leader for water justice, Executive Director of the Polaris Institute, and co-author of Blue Gold. And, Stephen Hazell, one of Canada’s experts on climate change law and former Executive Director of the Sierra Club Canada and founder of Ecovision Law.

“In an era of climate change and as the United States gets dangerously close to a water crisis, we can't take Canada's fresh water resources for granted,” said Paul Dewar. “An NDP government under my leadership will ban the bulk export of our precious water resources”.

Despite Parliament's previous adoption of NDP motions to ban bulk water exports, the Federal Government has yet to take action. The Conservative government's own "Transboundary Waters Protection Act," which took only modest steps toward protecting Canada's waters, was abandoned.

“We all want to see Canada's freshwater resources protected, but Paul Dewar is the one exercising political leadership by making this a top priority,” said Tony Clarke. “I know that as a leader, Paul Dewar will stand up for Canada's long-term water security and environmental sustainability.”

“Canada's freshwater is also threatened by climate change, pollution and inefficient use,” said Stephen Hazell. “We need Paul's vision and determination to protect our freshwater against all of these threats.”

Paul Dewar’s 5-point water strategy would:

• Support the principle of public delivery of water services;
• Enforce federal laws protecting water quality and fisheries, and properly support agencies regulating water;
• Impose a federal ban on bulk water export to prevent major impacts to water basins;
• Encourage research, development and use of water conservation systems, technologies and
• practices and water efficiency standards; and,
• Take global leadership on addressing water rights issues.

"Stephen Harper turned his back to the United Nations and all the people around the world who wanted to recognize access to water and sanitation as a right - not a commodity" said Anil Naidoo, a campaigner with Our Water Commons. "I'm supporting Paul because I can have confidence in his leadership on the global stage."

“Conservatives promised to stand up for Canadians by protecting our water resources, but they abandoned their own legislation” said Dewar. “The pressure for bulk water export will only grow over the coming years. We need a government Canadians can trust with the protection of our water.”

You can read the full policy statement here.