Editor:
Stefan Labbé’s June 25 article quotes the federal government lawyer as stating that the Ecojustice case is fundamentally flawed. He then states, “Only the governor-in-council, not this court, is equipped to evaluate such considerations.”
That raises an interesting question. Can the cabinet (acting as governor in council) arbitrarily ignore acts of parliament? Clearly not. Ours is a parliamentary democracy and if cabinet can ignore its own laws and statutes, we risk descending into a dictatorship.
Not only that but cabinet also ignored its own government scientists who along with other international experts in wetlands and wetland ecology have proven that the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 projects’ significant adverse environmental effects will be immediate, continuous, permanent, irreparable and unmitigable.
Fortunately, Canada’s system of government has a three branches. The legislative branch passes laws, the executive implements them and the judicial interprets them.
Let’s hope the judge understands that even if the government’s lawyer does not.
Roger Emsley
