One would think the Federal Government budget would be about numbers, cut and dry, instead the Omnibus Budget Bill announced on March 29, 2012 had a lot of very significant non-budgetary related add-ons. Extras like the alterations to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Fisheries Act will drastically reduce Canada’s environmental protection powers. The worst part is these changes are passing through our democratic process as after thoughts, with little debate, due to the fact they are attached to the budget. Oh and not to forget about the Federal government’s internal cuts to any department or tool that has an environmental focus.

Thank goodness the public is discussing these issues here a few of the news articles for your own thought and discussions.

Federal Cuts:

- Budget targets environmental critics - Mike De Souza, Postmedia News

Fisheries Act:

- Feds ‘neutering’ Fisheries Act– Heather Scoffield The Canadian Press

- Harper's Underhanded Gutting of Fisheries Act Designed to Help Enbridge and Co. – Rafe Mair Common Sense Journalism

- Take Action – Fisheries Act – Georgy Haymen Sierra Club Blog

Canadian Environmental Assessment Act:

- Canada' Environmental Assessment Law is Under Attack - Mining Watch Canada

- Évaluations environnementales – Ottawa pourrait noyer le poisson - Guillaume Bourgault-Côté Le Devoir.com

- Budget shortens environmental review process – Max Paris, CBC News

- Changements aux evaluations environnementales: une mesure du budget qui choque – Radio Canada