Consultants’ work needs evaluation

Re: “Consultants on shorter leash,” column, July 26. I’m not sure how Les Leyne learned what direction the government is taking in its approach to environmental assessment since, so far, it has only issued a discussion paper. But after reading his column, I checked the web and discovered and completed a government survey on environmental assessment. For having unwittingly prompted me to complete that survey, I am grateful to Leyne.

The approval of projects on the basis of reports by consultants hired by project proponents is like allowing criminals to select their own judges and juries. What proponent would hire a consultant who had a history of finding fault with clients’ proposals?

It is pretty standard across Canada for project proponents to hire their own consultants for environmentalimpact assessment, but also to be required to fund stakeholders to pay for expertise to question or critique the report of the proponent’s consultant.

A “disinterested” panel, acting much like a jury, could deliver independent recommendations to government based on evidence presented by both proponents and concerned stakeholders. This would reduce the possible influence of special interests that might have donated to political campaigns in the hope of gaining influence. Harvey Williams Victoria