Federal Party Platforms on Freshwater Commitments
Emily Lorra Hines | September, 2021
FLOW recognizes that many people do not have the time to read through party platforms to understand the individual party’s takes on freshwater policy. To help with this, FLOW has gone through the official party platform documents and condensed the information as a resource to interested readers.
This document does not contain any analysis on the platforms but should be seen merely as a resource to inform yourself about platform commitments. Only official party platform documents were referenced, with page numbers provided. The numbers in brackets, ex: (22), represent the page of the corresponding party’s document where the campaign promise was located. Individual campaign promises and/or speeches were not included. As such, just because something is not included does not mean the party has not spoken on the issue. If there is an area you are particularly invested in, we encourage you to undertake additional research.
Furthermore, FLOW determined to only include the Canadian parties that were invited to participate in the National Leaders Debate. This includes the Liberal Party of Canada, the Conservative Party of Canada, New Democratic Party of Canada, the Green Party of Canada and the Bloc Québécois Party. The parties have been ordered in accordance with the current seats occupied in the House of Commons as of August 2021.
As a non-partisan charitable initiative, FLOW does not endorse any one party or platform.
Individual platform documents used:
Liberal Party Platform – Forward. For Everyone. 2021
Conservative Party Platform – Canada’s Recovery Plan,2021
NDP Party Platform – Ready for Better: New Democrat’s Commitments to You, 2021
Bloc Québécois Party Platform: Bloc Québécois Plateforme Politique, Bloc 2021
Green Party Platform – Platform 2021: Be Daring.
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Liberals
• Introduce a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan, including a $1 billion investment over ten
years to protect large lake and river systems. (50).
• Conserve 25% of our lands and waters by 2025 and 30% of each by 2030 (49).
• Expand the office of the National Security and Intelligence Advisor to keep Canadians safe as
climate change increasingly impacts our domestic and global contexts. (48)
• Finalize and applying a climate lens to ensure climate adaptation and mitigation considerations
are integrated throughout federal government decision- making. (48)
Conservatives
• Target: Protect 17% of Canada’s Land and water, work towards 25% (74)
Develop parks and protected areas in Canada (72)
• Restore funding for National Wetland Conservation Fund and Recreational Fisheries
Conservation Partnership Program (74)
• Support and fund Wetlands and Watershed Protection (74)
• Explore ways to protect wetlands on private lands (74)
• Reinstate Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund (74)
• Increase funding for clean-up of Great Lakes in Ontario and Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. (74)
• Target high-risk water systems (118)
NDP
• Protect 30% of land, freshwater and oceans by 2030. (51)
• Invest in habit restoration of fish stocks and strengthen responses to oil spills and derelict
vessels. (38)
Bloc Québécois
• Will fund to counter erosion of shorelines. (22)
Green Party
• Protect a minimum of 30% of freshwaters and lands in each Canadian ecosystem by 2030 and
50% by 2050, prioritizing carbon-rich ecosystems (13)
• Ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking) (5).
• Fund the research and development of environmental farm plans to help farmers protect
wildlife habitat areas and marginal lands, maintain water quality in streams, lakes and aquifers,
and and decrease water requirements. (22)
• In collaboration with provinces, territories, municipal/local governments and Indigenous
Peoples, develop a national water strategy to ensure safe drinking water for all Canadians. (59)
-
Liberals
• Establish and fully fund a Canada Water Agency in 2022 (50).
• Modernize the Canada Water Act to include Indigenous water rights and address climate
change (50).
• Finalize the development of Canada’s first-ever National Adaptation Strategy by 2022 (48)
Conservatives
• End Raw Sewage Dumping into lakes rivers and oceans. (75)
• Tighten rules on cruise ships in Canadian water prevent sewage and grey water dumping (75)
• Appoint national disaster resilience advisor to Privy Council Office (84)
NDP
• Enshrine the right to a healthy environment in a Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights (43)
• Implement a national freshwater strategy. (43)
• Create Climate Corps of Young Workers (48)
• Create office of environmental justice. (52)
Bloc Québécois
• Demand climate tests for all federal policies to measure the impact on the environment. (22)
• Defend Québec’s environmental sovereignty. (22)
• Introduce green equalization to impose the polluter pays principles. (22)
Green Party
• Increase funding for the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) to support climate
resilience projects including, rehabilitation of storm water systems, and restoration of
wetlands, shorelines, and other natural infrastructure. (10)
• Establish a high-level Office of Environmental Justice at Environmnt and Cliamte Change Canada
(12)
• Create an independent, non-partisan council, composed of First Nations, Inuit and Métis
representation, climate scientists and researchers, youth and representatives from
communities that are the most affected by the climate emergency, to advise the government
on the development and implementation of its climate change policies through a lens of
environmental justice and eradicating environmental racism. (12)
-
Liberals
• Invest $37.5 million over 6 years to support freshwater research at the International Institute
for Sustainable Development’s Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) (50).
• Advance a Buy Clean Strategy to support and prioritize the use of made-in-Canada clean
products in infrastructure projects, both public and private. (47)
• Work with business, academic institutions, local governments, and leading not-for-profits to
ensure Canada is positioned to succeed in the global sector of the blue economy. (51).
Conservatives
• Utilize remote-sensing to identity conservation gaps (74)
• Create effective area-based conservating measures in southern working landscapes (74)
• Support completion of Canadian Wetland inventory (74)
NDP
• Reduce emissions from shipping and fishing. (51)
Bloc Québécois
• Support transition to green energies through investment in ecological innovation, technological
change and research and development. (22)
Green Party
• Ensure that Canada utilizes the best available scientific expertise to advance research and
development for assessing climate change impact risks with focus on on mitigation (10)
• Develop transdisciplinary partnerships with governmental, non-profit organizations, academic
institutions and industry, and invest in research and the necessary equipment, including the
possibility of a shared climate supercomputer. (10)
• Increase funding for the granting councils from $22.4 billion3 to $30 billion, including the
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)(16)
• Ensure all grants by the federal granting councils consider Environmental, Social, and
Governance (ESG) outcomes of the research it supports. (16)
• Restore and augment Climate Change and Atmospheric Research (CCAR) funding to NSERC and
ensure ongoing funding for the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory, which the
Liberals failed to restore after the funding ran out. (16)
• Establish a dedicated innovation agency that focuses on developing joint projects across
universities, private industry, and national labs. (16)
-
Liberals
• Support cooperation efforts with the African Great Lakes and other international water basins
to share Canadian knowledge and experience (50).
• Lead efforts on the world stage to establish a new, binding global agreement to eliminate
plastics waste from the world’s oceans. (52)
• Work with the USA to modernize NORAD, including by upgrading the North Warning System,
deploying new technological solutions, and improving command and control systems. (73)
Conservatives
Not specifically stated in platform documents.
NDP
• Make Canada a global leader in ocean and freshwater sustainability. (38)
Bloc Québécois -
Not specifically stated in platform documents.
Green Party
• Mandate and equip Canadian missions abroad to expand partnerships among civil society
organizations centred on the promotion of human rights, resilience, scientific cooperation and
the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. (89)
-
Liberals
• Include Indigenous water rights in a modernized Canada Water Act. (54)
• Continue to support Indigenous-led processes for rebuilding and reconstituting nations,
advancing self- determination and work in partnership on implementation of treaties, land
claim and self- government agreements with appropriate oversight mechanisms to hold the
federal government accountable. – 59
• Work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners to support new Indigenous Guardians
programs and establish new Indigenous Guardians Networks. (54)
• Support Indigenous communities to build capacity to establish more IPCAs. (54)
• Host a First Ministers Meeting on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation priorities. (59)
• Include, in all cabinet ministers' mandate letters, the requirement to implement UNDRIP, and
ensure their offices and ministries work alongside Indigenous peoples to advance their rights
(59)
• We commit to meet regularly with the Assembly of First Nations to make progress on First
Nations priorities. (61)
• Continuing to work in partnership with Inuit on addressing climate change. (61)
• Moving forward on the Self Government Framework Agreement with the Northwest Territory
Métis Nation.( 61)
• Continuing to work in partnership with Métis Nation on addressing climate change and meet
regularly with Métis Nation partners to make progress on Métis priorities. (61 – 62)
• Continuing to work in partnership with First Nations on addressing climate change (65)
Conservatives
• Expand creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), to be managed by
Indigenous Guardians (118)
• Work with Indigenous communities to find new approaches, such as regional or coalition-based
governance to ensure water systems are protected and provide safe drinking water. (60)
NDP
• Support Indigenous-led nature conservation and land-use and climate planning, including
growing the Indigenous Guardians Program (51)
• First nations, Inuit and Metis peoples are full and equal partners and building upon the UNDRIP
(52)
• Uphold Indigenous rights to protect waterways and biodiversity. (52)
• Direct climate investments towards reducing inequality, honouring Indigenous rights and
supporting communities. (52)
• Support Indigenous-led water management training programs and water system operations as
an immediate priority. (77)
Bloc Québécois
• Will ensure Indigenous Communities receive funds to put towards safe drinking water and carry
out the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (16)
Green Party
• Respect Indigenous sovereignty over self-defined and self-governed lands – whether First
Nations, Métis Nation or Inuit – and respect all rights that their title to land entails, including
the right to stewardship. (63)
• Develop a National Framework for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) that
includes collaborative governance arrangements, co-management decision-making bodies, and
supporting administrative structures (25)
• Invest in Indigenous-led sustainable ocean economies and Indigenous Guardians Programs (25)
• Include Indigenous Peoples, their worldviews, knowledge, and governance systems in all
aspects of design, site selection, management, and decision-making around economic
development within the marine and freshwater realms of their territories (25)
• Facilitate and support meaningful Nation-to-Nation engagement at the local and regional levels
on the management of shared marine resources to avoid future disputes over lack of clarity on
fisheries law (25)
• Work with Indigenous and provincial governments to phase out open net-pen finfish
aquaculture in Pacific waters by 2025 and all Canadian waters by 2030 (26)
• Support Indigenous-led protected and conservation areas and fund stewardship of these lands
and waters by Indigenous guardians (13)
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Liberals
• Make any investments necessary to eliminate all remaining advisories and make sure that
resources and training are in place to prevent future ones. (58)
• Continue to move forward on our agreement in principle to resolve national class action
litigation related to safe drinking water in First Nations communities. (59)
• Maintain our commitment to invest $6 billion to ensure sustainable access to clean water for
First Nations. (59)
Conservatives
• Recognize safe drinking water as a fundamental human right and end long term drinking water
advisories (118).
NDP
• Make full investments required to ensure clean water for all and lift all drinking water
advisories (77).
Bloc Québécois
• Will provide support and finance alongside pressure on the federal government to aid
Indigenous Peoples (including drinking water) (17)
Green Party
• End all drinking water and boil water advisories. (66)
• Invest in and upgrade critical infrastructure to ensure safe water access and to be able to lift
boil water advisories in every community. (66)
• Support Indigenous-led processes to implement safe drinking water and wastewater
management systems (66)
-
Liberals
• Take action to protect homeowners who are at high risk of flooding and don’t have adequate
insurance protection, by creating a low-cost national flood insurance program. (48)
• Create a nation-wide flood ready portal to provide information on where and how to build
homes and communities, and how to protect homes and communities from flood risks. (48)
• Complete ongoing work with provinces and territories to develop flood maps for higher-risk
areas in the next three years (48).
• Develop strategies, in partnership with the insurance industry and private sector to lower
insurance premiums by identifying cost-effective ways to better protect communities and
homes from climate impacts and save people money. (53)
• Provide Natural Climate solutions to act as a buffer for flooding and extreme heat (50).
• Modelled on the Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) in the United States, which has
helped pioneer the development of several iconic technologies, including GPS mapping, the
agency would be established with an initial endowment of $2 billion. (27)
• Create a Climate Adaptation Home Rating Program as a companion to the EnerGuide home
energy audits (48).
• Create open-access climate toolkits to help infrastructure owners and investors develop
projects that ensure Canada is on the path to a net-zero emissions and resilient future. (48)
Conservatives
• Implement national plan on floods. (84)
• Establish residential high-risk flood insurance program (84)
• Create national climate adaptation strategy that addresses existing provincial concerns on flood
readiness while leveraging private sector solutions (84)
• Invest $3 billion between now and 2030 in natural climate solutions. (74)
• Complete the Tuktoyaktuk road and port. (62)
• Address drought exposure in collaboration with farmers, ranchers and foresters. (84)
• Incorporate a mitigation and adaptation lens to government infrastructure investments.(84)
• Develop natural infrastructure plan that includes development of a national standard to assess
the value of natural infrastructure. (84)
• Require public sector accounting to include a valuation of existing natural infrastructure. (84)
• Requirements to incorporate retention of natural infrastructure into community design. (84)
• Incentives for farmers and landowners to protect and restore natural infrastructure (84).
NDP
• Work jointly with Indigenous leadership and communities to develop coordinated action plans
to respond to climate change emergencies like floods. (83)
• Expand federal funding to respond to disasters, and support communities in proactively
adapting their infrastructure to withstand floods, forest fires and other extreme weather
events. (86)
• Help municipalities improve their waste management and recycling systems. (51)
• Create National Crisis Strategy –make sure communities can cope safely with extreme weather
events - supported by long-term funding for adaptation, disaster mitigation and climate
resilient infrastructure. (43)
• Provide support for communities to adapt their infrastructures to withstand floods, other
extreme weather events. (86)
• Invest in green infrastructure, including investing in one million ‘good jobs’
Bloc Québécois
• Not specifically stated in platform documents.
Green Party
• Scale-up funding for nature-based solutions (13)
• Create a dedicated, long-term funding program for water infrastructure, building on the success
of the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund that operated between 2016 and 2018 (16)
• Invest in science, infrastructure, and business development that supports farming practices
which both mitigate climate impacts and improve adaptation. (22)
Emily Hines is the Director for the Forum for Leadership on Water and graduate of Oxford University’s Water Science, Policy and Mangement Masters Degree Course.