National organization slams Manitoba environment survey

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This article was published 28/03/2017 (3143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A national environmental group says a Manitoba government survey asking for input on climate-change policy is a waste of money.

The Wilderness Committee said the survey, launched online earlier this month here, is flawed because it can be done by the same individual over and over again — and there is no restriction on people from outside Manitoba completing it.

That makes it useless as a guide for creating public policy, the group said Tuesday. 

“It is stunning that these glaring flaws weren’t considered before the survey was published,” said Eric Reder, Manitoba campaign director for the Wilderness Committee. “This survey either demonstrates incompetence or, more likely, destructive disdain for climate action and environmental protection.”

The Manitoba government has yet to sign onto a national climate-change effort, stating it would be creating a made-in-Manitoba plan. 

On March 3, Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox announced the launch of the online survey to give Manitobans a say on a “climate and green plan” in response to a federal directive that all provinces institute a form of carbon pricing beginning in 2018.

Two weeks later, the government extended its original March 19 deadline for feedback to March 31.

In asking for comment, the government said its green plan would include measures to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and adopt energy-saving technologies.

Manitobans were asked for their opinion on how to direct revenues from a carbon tax. Options included lowering income taxes, providing rebates to low-income households, investing in flood-proofing projects, or providing offsets for increased hydro rates.

Kaley Qually, a spokesman for Cox, said the government has been “very content” with the response to the survey.

“We’ve seen over 6,000 responses to date with a few days left. If Manitobans are able to fill it out multiple times, that doesn’t really concern us,” he said.

Qually said the Department of Sustainable Development hasn’t flagged as a concern the possibility that anyone could fill out the survey numerous times. (A Free Press reporter was able to complete the online survey multiple times in a matter of minutes on Tuesday.)

Qually said the province is encouraged by the large response the survey received soon after it was launched. “Based on that, we’re very confident that Manitobans took advantage of their opportunity to participate (as opposed to folks outside of the province),” he said.

NDP MLA Rob Altemeyer said he agrees with the Wilderness Committee’s pessimistic assessment of the survey’s usefulness.

“They want your opinion, but they don’t care who you are,” he said of the government.

Altemeyer said the province can’t claim that a large number of people participated in the survey because the same person could have filled it out “a hundred times.”

Similarly, the government can’t claim the online questionnaire is an accurate reflection of Manitobans’ opinions because it was not scientifically designed.

“The only possible thing that they might get out of this that would be useful is if maybe someone sent them a new idea,” he said.

Meanwhile, Reder called the survey a weak effort and a wasted opportunity. 

“We don’t have time to delay climate action — we need better from the Manitoba government,” he said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca