Scarpaleggia appointed Liberal water critic

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinental.ca

The Liberal Party of Canada recently named Lac St. Louis MP Francis Scarpaleggia Critic for Federal Water Policy in the official opposition’s shadow cabinet. According to Scarpaleggia, who passed a motion calling on the Conservative government to create a national water strategy in May, said Liberal leader Stephane Dion created this new position within the shadow cabinet because water has become a very prominent concern.

“I’ve been pushing the issue in my caucus for a while,” he said. “So, I’m very happy Stephane Dion created the position. I don’t think any other party’s done it.”

According to Scarpaleggia, water is an issue that not only affects all levels of government; it also touches at least 20 federal departments and agencies, such as transportation, trade, infrastructure, and so on.

“The field is wide open and never ending,” he said. “There are thousands of issues that connect to this main point of water. And it’s been ignored.”

Dropping water levels on the St. Lawrence River will have an impact on trade, because the cargo ships that currently pass through are already running very close to the bottom of the seaway, he said. Climate change, pollution, and eco-recreation, which was strongly affected by blue-green algae this summer, are further examples of water related issues Scarpaleggia gave. The government must also prohibit the bulk export of water both to other countries and within Canadian provinces, in order to avoid possible conflicts under the North American Freed Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that would require the country to participate in freshwater export. “It’s a mammoth issue,” he said.

Overall, Scarpaleggia is most happy with the new position, because he believes it gives more weight to the issue of protecting water.

“The media will now have someone to talk to in the Liberal opposition on this issue,” he said. “It gives profile to the issue within our caucus.”

PULLQUOTE: “There are thousands of issues that connect to this main point of water.” – Lac St. Louis MP Francis Scarpaleggia