Media Advisory—Tabling of the 2018 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Media Advisory—Tabling of the 2018 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development—Tuesday, 2 October 2018
Ottawa, 4 September 2018—The 2018 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Julie Gelfand, will be tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 2 October 2018.
Media lock-up:
Journalists accredited by the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery are invited to attend a media lock-up to be held Tuesday, 2 October 2018, from 7 am (Eastern TimeET). Please proceed to the Auditor General’s security checkpoint on the main floor of 240 Sparks Street, West Tower to provide your photo identification.
Thank you for bringing your Wi-Fi enabled laptop or tablet to the lock-up so that you can connect to our secure wireless network to access an embargoed copy of the 2018 Fall Reports and other related material, as well as the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’sOAG’s website. We will unlock the wireless network once the reports are tabled in the House of Commons so that you can file your articles without delay. Please note that very few paper copies of the reports will be available for distribution.
Journalists may leave the media lock-up only once the reports are tabled in the House of Commons, shortly after 10:00 am.
News conference:
Journalists in Ottawa who are accredited by the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery may attend the news conference in person:
11:00 am to 12:00 pm (ET)
National Press Theater, 150 Wellington Street, Ottawa
All Canadian journalists can join the news conference via teleconference.
Phone numbers: 1-866-206-0153 / 613-954-9003
Access code: 8123338#
Interviews:
To book an interview, please call 1-888-761-5953 or email infomedia@oag-bvg.gc.ca.
The 2018 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development include the following:
Report 1—Toxic Substances. We examined whether Environment and Climate Change Canada enforced regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to control the risks of toxic substances, and whether both Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada evaluated their progress to meet objectives for reducing risks to the environment and human health. We also examined whether both departments communicated the risks of toxic substances to the public.
Report 2—Protecting Marine Mammals. We examined whether Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Parks Canada, and Transport Canada had adequately protected marine mammals in Canadian waters from threats posed by marine vessels and commercial fishing.
Report 3—Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies. Following the Commissioner’s annual monitoring since 2013 of sustainable development strategy commitments made by the federal government, this wrap up audit examined 26 organizations to assess their progress in applying the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, and whether the organizations had met their commitments to strengthen their strategic environmental assessment practices.
Report 4—Environmental Petitions Annual Report. This annual report on petitions is required under section 23 of the Auditor General Act. It informs Parliament and Canadians about the number, nature, and status of environmental petitions and the government’s responses received between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018. Case studies on past environmental petitions are also included and they address: nuclear operator liabilities, marine protected areas, shipwreck oil spill cleanup and the 2030 Agenda.
The 2018 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development will be available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada Website immediately following tabling.
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