138 Hidden Ranch Circle NW Calgary, AB T3A 5P6 June 4, 2012 The Honourable Diane Ablonczy P.C. M.P.

Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs) 1107 - 17th Ave NW Calgary, AB T2M 0P7

Dear Minister, Last Saturday I joined thousands of Canadians at rallies across the country, including one here in Calgary, to voice my grave concern about the Federal Budget Bill, C-38. The Federal Budget Bill is far more than a budget. The bill contains changes to 70 different laws. In reality, it is a sweeping agenda to remake Canadian society, and it is being rushed through Parliament without time for open debate or public scrutiny. I spent my Saturday in front Stephen Harpers constituency office because I believe that if this bill passes, it further seriously and dangerously erodes our democracy beyond what the Harper government has already done. Only some of the other things that deeply trouble me are that the bill: repeals The Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act; dismantles The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act; excludes concerned citizens from assessments of major projects like the Enbridge pipeline; downloads responsibility for most environmental assessments to provinces; gives final say over pipeline projects to Conservative cabinet ministersregardless of environmental impacts; lays off the entire Canadian scientific community looking at ocean contaminants. We have a lot of coastline, meaning there is a lot of ocean not being examined, which will impact the worldwide science in this area; eliminates habitat protection from The Fisheries Act; limits the waterways protected by The Species at Risk Act and The Fisheries Act; dismantles the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, leaving natural areas vulnerable. reduces the Auditor Generals powers to hold government accountable to Canadians; removes independent oversight from 12 key government agenciesincluding the Northern Pipeline Agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Canada Revenue Agency; eliminates organizations that produce independent policy research, including Rights & Democracy, the National Council of Welfare, and the First Nations Statistical Institute; It eliminates the key watchdog of the countrys spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service; dissolves the Public Appointments Commission designed to ensure key positions are assigned based on merit instead of insider connections; allows the FBI to come into Canada and arrest Canadians on Canadian soil. You only need to be concerned over one of these to express your displeasure at the way all of these major changes are being rushed through parliament with minimal examination, discussion, or negotiation. And almost none of it was in the election platform of a year ago. We know that many Conservative MPs have real concerns about this budget bill. Its time for them to speak up. We are looking for 13 hero Conservative MPs to stop this bill, split it, and start over by inviting Canadians to help them make better laws. We are asking them to represent their constituents, instead of slavishly obeying Stephen Harper, by doing the right thing for our country. Yours truly, Islay Lamb