2011:01 BANNING ALL OFFSHORE DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC
Whereas 1 there has been widespread thawing in the Arctic due to climate modification, resulting in:
a. exposure of a very delicate ecosystem that, if damaged, cannot be repaired, and
b. more exposed areas that can be exploited or used for research; and
Whereas 2 it is known that there are vast, rich deposits of great variety in the seabed, thought to hold one quarter of the world’s undiscovered oil; and
Whereas 3 the effect of an oil spill on the delicate nature of the ecosystem is irreversible because:
a. oil cannot be cleaned up adequately in the cold Arctic waters;
b. the drilling of emergency side-pipes is not likely to be feasible when the spill occurs under the ice and the occurrence is not identified in time; and
c. these areas are only available for remedial action two months of the year; and
Whereas 4 a spill in Arctic waters could destroy the last rich reserves of fish and significant wildlife habitat; and
Whereas 5 with the expected surge in drilling and transportation of oil, accidents are expected to increase, accidents which are dangerous and impossible to control and have serious implications for the preservation of the now healthy ecosystem; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy the banning of all offshore drilling in the Canadian Arctic waters; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to:
a. proceed urgently to ban all offshore drilling in the Canadian Arctic waters;
b. improve Canada’s capacity to monitor effectively the banning of all offshore drilling activity in the Canadian Arctic waters and enforce existing legislation;
c. ensure that the results of monitoring practices are verifiable and made public;
d. continue to work with the Arctic Council to promote the banning of all offshore drilling in the Arctic;
e. work with other countries with off-shore waters to ban off-shore drilling in Arctic waters; and
f. encourage the use of the connection with NORAD for oil-drilling monitoring; and be it further
Resolved 3 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to work with the United Nations to achieve a ban on offshore drilling in the Arctic.
2011:02 NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY POLICY
Whereas 1 an increasingly small group of companies has gained control over the food supply and is generating huge profits; and
Whereas 2 farm income for a number of agricultural commodities has declined while prices to consumers have increased, often making nutritious food unaffordable for many low-income families; and
Whereas 3 Canadian farmers cannot compete globally against lower agriculture and labour standards in other countries; and
Whereas 4 worldwide food shortages are likely to result from global warming and continued population growth; and
Whereas 5 Canada is losing good farmland largely due to urban sprawl and the farm population is in a continued decline; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy that Canada establish a national food security policy in order to provide safe and nutritious food for the entire Canadian population; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to formulate a national food security policy that will:
a. monitor urban expansion with a view to preserving good farmland and expanding Canada’s capacity for food production;
b. ensure sustainable production, processing and distribution which could build long-term sustainable farm incomes for both small and large enterprises;
c. ensure that international agreements affecting food are based on the best Canadian standards;
d. recognize that supply managed systems help to stabilize the supply of high quality food for consumption in Canada at affordable prices and help to stabilize farm incomes within the marketplace; and
e. ensure safe and nutritious food for all Canadians including those on low income and those who are geographically isolated.
2011:03 ENSURING THE SAFETY OF THE CANADIAN FOOD SUPPLY
Whereas 1 the safety of Canada’s food supply is a basic expectation for Canadians; and
Whereas 2 the risks of foodborne illnesses have increased significantly with the development of large-scale farming and food processing as well as the globalization of the food supply; and
Whereas 3 in a national foodborne emergency under the current system, there is a possibility of confusion of roles between federal and provincial governments and between departments of the federal government; as well as a lack of communication between government agencies and laboratories responsible for testing; and
Whereas 4 the Auditor General of Canada pointed out in a 2009 report that federal inspection of imported plants and produce coming into Canadian ports was not adequate; and
Whereas 5 many shipments of unprocessed meat products enter Canada without inspection at border crossing points; and
Whereas 6 the risks associated with processes along the manufacturing chain of prepared foods may occur:
a. directly with the addition of toxic substances: e.g. melanin added to powdered milk to increase its measured protein content, or
b. indirectly: e.g. from livestock feed contaminated resulting in meat contamination or egg products containing high levels of dioxin; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy that the Safety of Canada’s food supply be a high priority for the Government of Canada; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada in the event of a national foodborne emergency to ensure:
a. recognition of the central role of the Canadian Public Health Agency in coordinating all levels of government and agency responses, and in communicating with the public; and
b. effective systems of networking are in place between the government and the laboratories involved in testing; and be it further
Resolved 3 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to give additional attention, via the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, to the safety of imported food through:
a. improving and strengthening regulations over imported food and implementation and evaluation of existing regulations; and
b. ensuring the equivalence at least to Canadian standards of the exporting country’s food inspection system; and
c. improving regulations of imported food to and from Canada including the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points; and be it further
Resolved 4 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to work with the provinces and territories to increase co-operation in the area of food safety, improved inspection and harmonization standards, as well as on such topics as disease notification, including the possible re-introduction of listeriosis on the national notifiable disease list.
2011:04 ESTABLISHMENT OF NANOTECHNOLOGY REGULATIONS
Whereas 1 microscopic nano-particles are being used in more than 800 products sold to consumers such as titanium dioxide in sunscreen, anti-bacterial ceiling paint, and tooth whiteners; and
Whereas 2 little is known about the effects of nanoparticles on humans and animals, on the air or food, or on the way they break down in nature over time; and
Whereas 3 except for legislation obliging companies that have made or imported more than 10 kg of certain identifiable nanoparticles to submit information on those products, there are no nanomaterial-specific regulations in effect in Canada; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy that there be a public inventory of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in Canada which includes regulations covering risk assessment procedures prior to a nanomaterial release into the marketplace or environment; and a system tracking and assessing after-market issues and problems; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to:
a. establish a public inventory of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in Canada;
b. establish regulations covering risk assessment procedures prior to a nanomaterial release into the marketplace or environment and a system tracking and assessing after-market issues and problems; and
c. respond to July 2010 recommendations of the Council of Canadian Academies concerning worker safety, namely:
i. the development of an interim classification of nanomaterials;
ii. a revision of the criteria determining if a new material or product needs to be examined from the standpoint of its health and environmental effects; and
iii. the perfecting of standardized methods for handling nanomaterials.
2011:05 REFORM OF THE CANADA PENSION PLAN RETIREMENT INCOME SYSTEM FOR CANADIANS WITH AN EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Whereas 1 the economic well-being of Canada’s retired population is being threatened by:
a. a significant increase in the number of retirees as the baby boom generation retires; and
b. ongoing low levels of activity in the economy, high unemployment, and the underfunding and/or the failure of increasing numbers of employer pension plans, leaving affected retirees without this income; and
c. the significantly reduced level of personal savings of the working-age employed population; and
Whereas 2 while it is generally assumed that retirees need about 70% of their pre-retirement income to preserve their standard of living in retirement, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) alone is designed to replace 25% of average adjusted annual earnings up to a maximum (this amount changes yearly and is $48,300 for 2011); and
Whereas 3 the CPP is the favoured vehicle of delivery to increase retirement income because it is considered secure, reliable, cost-effective, and well-managed; and
Whereas 4 an expanded Canada Pension Plan (CPP) could provide an increased defined benefit pension related to earnings and years of contributions and would remain a public pension plan where risks are pooled to provide adequate benefits to all contributors; and
Whereas 5 these plan reforms are still in the design phase where no clear design has been chosen, except that the CPP seems the preferred vehicle of delivery; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy retention of an expanded and sustainable Canada Pension Plan (CPP) with increased benefits for all contributors to ensure them a livable retirement with a defined, indexed, and secure pension; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to strengthen the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) by increasing benefits for all contributors to ensure them a livable retirement with a defined, indexed, and secure pension.
2011:06 INCREASING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS IN CANADA
Whereas 1 there are many well-established benefits associated with widespread use of public transportation, such as:
a. reduced use of fossil fuels, leading to less vehicle emissions, less environmental pollution, improved air quality, and reduced noise levels;
b. reduced costs of municipal infrastructure;
c. fewer traffic accidents, with reduced injuries and vehicle repair costs;
d. increased land values and business opportunities close to the transit path;
e. decreased production of greenhouse gases; and
Whereas 2 there are both equity and efficiency benefits associated with the use of public transportation, both of which are crucial considerations in designing a well-functioning system; and
Whereas 3 evaluating the operation of a transportation service is extremely complicated, involving its effectiveness in serving both efficiency needs and delivering benefits; and
Whereas 4 although the Government of Canada does not provide direct transportation services in the municipalities, provinces, or territories, it has an important role to play in developing a national strategy that promotes as a priority the provision of public transportation systems in the municipalities, provinces, and territories, through public education and funding support; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy that there be the provision of public transportation systems in Canada; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to promote systems of public transportation in the municipalities, provinces, and territories through financial contributions and public education campaigns; and be it further
Resolved 3 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to ensure that there are strong evaluation procedures for evaluating proposed new and existing public transit investments with regard to coverage based on needs, increasing ridership, and cost-effectiveness.
2011:01PU NEED FOR REALISTIC INSURANCE FOR NUCLEAR INCIDENTS
Whereas 1 in 2004, the National Council of Women of Canada adopted as policy:
a. the rejection of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.’s concept for burial of nuclear waste
b. the need for a broad-based public debate on the energy future of Canada, with a specific focus on the need for alternative sources of energy, energy efficiency, and energy conservation
c. the need for significant expenditures on the search for safe technology to treat nuclear waste; upgrading of nuclear site storage and safety; development of alternative sources of energy, energy efficiencies, and energy conservation; improvements for international radiation standards to reflect gender, age, health, and long-term low-level radiation exposure by workers and the public, and environmental impacts e.g., air, water, and soil
d. the need for a Federal/Territorial/Provincial Environmental Assessment of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) recommendations
e. opposition to the expansion of the nuclear industry in Canada, and the need for a phase-out of nuclear plants at the end of their life cycle, and the need for a ban on the importation of high-level radioactive waste for any purpose
Whereas 2 in 2008, the National Council of Women of Canada adopted as policy that:
a. the mining of high-grade uranium be phased out, in tandem with the phase-out of nuclear plants at the end of their life cycle
b. the mining of low-grade uranium not be allowed as a replacement for high-grade uranium
c. in the interim, active mines and mills be made safe and abandoned mines be cleaned up and secured
Whereas 3 rather than phase out nuclear power, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Ontario are in the process of refurbishing older plants, and Ontario has plans for a second generation of nuclear plants, with all the risks that this entails
Whereas 4 there would be substantive physical, social, health, and environmental costs should a major nuclear incident take place at any of these reactor locations
Whereas 5 The Government’s proposed Bill C-15, An Act Respecting Civil Liability and Compensation for Damage in Case of a Nuclear Accident (NCLA):
a. fails to require Canada’s nuclear industry and government to publish a full spectrum of information relevant to nuclear risk and insurance, with the current information often being incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading
b. fails to take into account the precautionary principle
c. requires insurance coverage for nuclear reactor operators that falls well short of independently-assessed projected costs, and transfers the balance of insurance costs to the public; therefore be it
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy, that:
a. nuclear reactor operators be required to carry insurance that fully covers any potential on or offsite environmental, social, health, and economic costs of a nuclear incident
b. the public have access to all information regarding the environmental, social, health, and economic costs of potential nuclear incidents; and be it further
Resolved 2 that the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to:
a. require nuclear reactor operators to carry commercial insurance that covers the total costs of a full range of nuclear incidents, as determined by an independent detailed, life-cycle analysis of the full environmental, social, health, and economic costs of such an incident, on or offsite
b. regularly publish a full spectrum of information relevant to nuclear risk on and offsite of nuclear installations and nuclear insurance costs.
2011:02PU INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION
Whereas 1 In 1998, The National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) adopted as policy, resolution 98.6, which urged the Government of Canada to sign only those agreements which:
a. respect the economic, political, and constitutional sovereignty of Canada including the ability of all levels of government to direct investment to community-based projects and underdeveloped regions of the country;
b. influence job creation and protect culture, health care, social programs, the environment, and maintain labour standards;
c. include gender analysis and analysis of environmental concerns, particularly as they relate to the ability of Canada to fulfill its obligations made in UN conferences in Nairobi, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Copenhagen, and Beijing;
d. guarantee Canadian ownership and control over the delivery of vital natural resources, such as water, electricity, and natural gas;
e. guarantee compliance with Canadian environmental standards and ensure enforcement of this compliance;
f. ensure that trade negotiations within such transnational organizations as the World Trade Organization (WTO), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) represent the interests of all citizens by:
i. working for the equal representation of women on trade delegations from all countries, particularly by setting the example in delegations from Canada;
ii. ensuring that gender analysis, as well as social and environmental assessments, are an integral part of the process of trade negotiations; and
iii. ensuring that the public is fully informed in a timely way of proposed timetables for trade liberalization taking place within trade negotiations and organizations
Whereas 2 The Government of Canada is currently in negotiations with the European Union for a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (C.E.T.A.), which lacks full disclosure and open discussion with the Canadian people
Whereas 3 Proposed trade agreements between the European Union and Canada should be made public and transparent
Whereas 5 Municipal, territorial, and provincial governments have the right to support Canadian suppliers; set minimum specifications for materials and services on major projects; adopt ethical and environmental purchasing policies; enforce commitments to hire workers locally or require companies winning public contracts to invest a portion of revenues or profits in Canadian communities
Resolved 1 that the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) reiterate as policy:
a. the need for adequate public consultation, transparency, and public disclosure in the negotiation of international trade agreements (including Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (C.E.T.A.)); and
b. opposition to Canadian government negotiation of international trade agreements that bind and restrict provincial, territorial, and municipal governments; and be it further
Resolved 2 that NCWC urge the Government of Canada to:
a. provide full disclosure to Parliament about trade negotiations with foreign governments;
b. engage in adequate public consultation in a transparent manner;
c. work with the provinces, territories, and municipalities to ensure the adoption of public procurement policies that:
i. set specifications for materials and services that require a minimum Canadian content on major projects;
ii. adopt ethical and environmentally sustainable purchasing policies; and,
iii. enforce commitments to hire workers locally or require companies winning public contracts to invest a portion of revenues or profits in Canadian communities.
2011:01E1 THE NEED FOR ALL CANADIANS TO HAVE ACCESS TO SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO COVER THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE
Whereas 1 The UN Declaration of Human Rights declares that "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including food, clothing, housing, necessary social services, and to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his/her control" with "motherhood and childhood entitled to special care and assistance"; and
Whereas 2 The National Council of Welfare publication, Welfare Incomes 2009 found that despite the fact that all welfare incomes increased in 2008, this increase had very little effect as welfare incomes had already lost so much ground due to inflation of 45% between 1990 and 2009. Welfare incomes are still far away from providing the necessities of life, as are the incomes of people working at minimum and other low wages. The Canadian Community Health Survey shows that 9.2% of the population of Canada or more than 1.1 million people lived with food insecurity; and
Whereas 3 Research by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives shows that there is a growing gap between upper-income Canadians whose incomes have grown very quickly, and both middle-income families, whose incomes have stagnated, and lower-income Canadians whose incomes have lost ground over recent years. This puts low-income earners and social assistance recipients at risk of food and shelter insecurity; and
Whereas 4 The World Health Organization, responding to increasing concern about the persisting and widening inequalities, established the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, and is holding a conference, the aim of which is "to catalyze political support for national policies to address social determinants of health to reduce health inequities"; and
Whereas 5 Canada is the only major industrialized country to be without a national housing strategy, although the policies to correct poverty, homelessness, and housing issues and/or overcrowded dwellings that exist in Canada (and which are particularly prevalent among groups that include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) have high costs in terms of poor health, poor education, and increased involvement with the police and courts, as well as high levels of emotional distress and social dysfunction brought on by social inequities
Resolved 1 That the National Council of Women of Canada reiterate from the 1948 United Nations Declaration of Human Rights as policy that everyone has "the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including food, clothing, housing, necessary social services, and to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his/her control" with "motherhood and childhood entitled to special care and assistance"
Resolved 2 That the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to develop an anti-poverty strategy that:
a. works to improve the living conditions of people, with special attention being given to single mothers, older women, refugee women, women with disabilities, and Aboriginal women living off-reserve, at risk of food and shelter insecurity by increasing the Federal Social Transfers to the Provincial and Territorial Governments;
b. hold the provinces and territories accountable for using additional benefits to social or income assistance recipients so that they have the resources to buy sufficient nutritional food and to secure safe housing;
c. implements a National Housing Strategy without delay;
d. increases funding to on-reserve Aboriginals, given the exclusive federal responsibility for housing on reserves, in order to alleviate their food and shelter insecurity, paying particular attention to the unsafe, overcrowded, and often mold-infected condition of much Aboriginal housing, and lack of access to safe drinking water; and
e. develops an integrated national policy to reduce health inequities among Canadians by addressing the social determinants of health
Resolved 3 That the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to work with provincial and territorial governments to ensure that their minimum wage policies support a living wage.