Minister Pierre Dufour has three responsibilities, those of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, and there is no doubt that the first is close to his heart, to such an extent that it is easy to say that he is in fact the Minister of Forestry, he who makes a point of defending tooth and nail these private interests, on which depend, it must be emphasized, many jobs in the regions. But it seems that his recurring clumsiness could ultimately serve the cause of the forest industry and harm the Legault government, whether in terms of the environment, relations with Aboriginal peoples or autonomy from federal power. .
His way of dragging his feet when it comes to protecting woodland caribou, an endangered species whose habitat is disturbed by logging, has even allowed the federal government to give itself a good role.
For his part, the minister launched a so-called “independent” commission on caribou protection. This commission, whose dilatory nature cannot be denied, is looking at two scenarios: the first scenario is based on a territory protection plan drawn up in 2019, while a new scenario, called “without additional forest impact”, removes protection zones, or “habitats under restoration (HRZ)”, of the first scenario. This new scenario is obviously more favorable to the industry.
But now the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, has decided to get involved. Brandishing the Species at Risk Act, the federal minister threatens to enact necessary measures to protect the animal’s “critical habitat”, an unprecedented gesture that is not without consequences. Ottawa would arrogate to itself the right to regulate logging, an exclusive jurisdiction of Quebec, or even to prohibit it on a territory whose area is estimated at 35,000 km2the equivalent of 75 times the area of the island of Montreal.
Obviously, we understand the interest of Steven Guilbeault, who wants to restore his environmental image after giving the green light to the Bay du Nord oil project off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. We can also believe that Justin Trudeau, on the strength of the alliance between the Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party which assures him of power until 2025, has no gift for François Legault, who suggested Quebeckers to vote Conservative in the last election. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
On Wednesday, Pierre Dufour went there with another statement, to say the least dubious. He accused the Innu of Nutashkuan of undermining caribou conservation efforts. The minister relied on a report from the Montreal Journal concerning an investigation into a hunt which would have led to the slaughter of 50 animals. The problem is that we don’t yet know exactly what happened. Visibly annoyed, the Minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs, Ian Lafrenière, tried to cover up his colleague’s clumsiness by saying that the Innu “are part of the solution”.
At the National Assembly, Pierre Dufour once again spoke of the clever method of saving caribou, that of penning them in enclosures, this kind of zoo without visitors. However, this is not a viable solution, but rather a morbid illustration of the failure of the Quebec government, and especially of its inaction. Meanwhile, the department continues to oppose the creation of protected areas that would help protect deer. It is clear that Forests and Wildlife do not mix well within the same ministry. It is giving the wolf the task of watching over the sheepfold.
The best way for the Legault government to counter the advances of this supervisory federalism is to stop evading its responsibilities.