Finance Minister Flaherty wants a national securities regulator and Transport Minister Baird wants to cut red tape in order to get infrastructure projects moving. How about the Federal government unilaterally agreeing that it will recognize an environmental assessment carried out pursuant to a provincial environmental act.
The Federal government would be asserting its paramountcy in a field where national standards are appropriate but backing out of an area where local interests are highest importance (who else but local authorities will have the best understanding of how the environment will be affected) and eliminating a massive duplication of authority, paperwork and expense at the same time.
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