Federal endangered species legislation fails to plug legal loopholes left by the provinces and amounts to an abdication of responsibility by Prime Minister Jean Chretien, says a coalition of environmental groups. At issue is legislation, introduced in April, that Environment Minister David Anderson has called one of the toughest laws in the world.
Environmental groups call the bill an international embarrassment.
Anderson, in an interview from Iqaluit, where he was meeting his provincial and territorial counterparts, rejected the criticism. It is legislation which, I believe, for the first time will allow us appropriately to protect endangered species in Canada. Jail terms up to five years could also be imposed. But environmentalists note that politicians, not scientists, would have the final say on which species are defined as endangered. An independent panel would draw up an annual list, but the federal cabinet would have to ratify the choices.