MONTREAL, February 25 — The Coalition québécoise pour une gestion responsable de l’eau – Eau secours! announced today that it is seeking candidates for the March 26, 2007 provincial elections who will serve as real water representatives.
The issue is clear: clean air and water are two things that we cannot live without and for which there is no substitute. In the current media frenzy over Kyoto air quality, we tend to forget about water. The Coalition has therefore decided to appeal to future members who are committed to championing their cause.
The key demands of Eau Secours! are based on the National Water Policy. Among its 57 recommendations, four are a priority for the Coalition:
- Sewage (waste water) treatment to save the St. Lawrence River
- The obligation of all Quebec cities to achieve the standards set by the drinking water regulations during the next mandate
- Bottled water: ending the current self-regulation of bottlers and obliging them to run the same quality tests as cities
- The repeal of Article 64 of Bill 134, which allows cities to privatize water management
The candidates in the 125 provincial electoral districts will each be approached on these points. We will follow these future delegates’ fight for water not only during the period of the elections, but also during their mandate.
On the eve of its 10th anniversary, with 225 member groups, 2,300 individual members and more than 70 Water Carriers, the Coalition, without resorting to partisan politics, is inviting all politicians to mobilize for health through water quality.
As Coalition President André Bouthillier said, ” We are now entering the Kyot’Eau era.”
For information or interviews with an Eau Secours! spokesperson:
Caroline Perron
Coordinator
(514) 568-0777