Posts Tagged ‘environment’
Tory environment plan
April 26 to 27, 2007 – Environment Minister John Baird announces the government’s industry plan to regulate industry and reduce greenhouse gases.
NDP leader Jack Layton, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, environmentalist David Suzuki and former Vice President Al Gore criticize the plan.
Baird testifies to Senate on Kyoto Implementation Act
Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez and Environment Minister John Baird testify before the Senate environment committee considering Rodriguez’ private members bill C-28, the “Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act”.
The bill would force the government to meet Canada’s greenhouse gas emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol for the 2008-2012 commitment period.
The government opposed the bill, saying the Kyoto targets cannot be be met at this late stage without harming the economy. However the bill passed the House of Commons in February with the support of all three opposition parties.
Baird tabled a report backed by prominent economists called the Cost of Kyoto Bill C-288 to Canadian Families and Business claiming that meeting Canada’s Kyoto targets would harm the economy and cause a recession.
Liberals Filibuster Clean Air Act
2007-03-22 Liberals block the clause-by-clause reading of the Clean Air Act by introducing last-minute amendments to the bill.
Can Canada Meet its Kyoto Obligations?
February 5, 2007 – Stéphane Dion, Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff and John Baird in Question Period on the Opposition motion to force the government to honor its Kyoto Accord commitments, and whether Canada’s Kyoto targets can be met.
In 2008, I will be part of Kyoto but I will say to the world I don’t think I will make it.
- Stéphane Dion
Links:
- National Post article: Stéphane Dion’s Kyoto Problem
Green Party leader Elizabeth May
Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, comments on the termination of the Environment Commissioner due to a philosophical disagreement with the Auditor General over the role of the Commissioner.
May advocates an activist role for the Environment Commissioner, saying the role should be one of political advocacy rather than a ‘value for money’ approach favoured by the Auditor General.
May also makes a case for including her in the national televised debate.
Is Stephen Harper a climate change denier?
Stephen Harper and Stéphane Dion debate in Question Period on whether Harper is a climate change denier.
This government has made it clear, in the election campaign and since, that we accept the science and that’s why we’re acting.
- Stephen Harper
Harper’s policies to balance environment and economy
Stephen Harper describes his plan to make Canada a leader in environmental technology as the single largest industrial initiative in Canada’s history, promising details by the end of March 2007.
Harper’s plan favours domestic investments into new technologies over the purchase of carbon credits under the Kyoto protocol.
Its necessary to have environmentally sustained growth in the long-term. And there is a tremendous opportunity for Canada, with its energy super-power status, to use that to become a leader in environmental technology.
That will not be achieved … if the other parties had their way and simply transferred money overseas as a way of saying they are dealing with greenhouse gasses.
We have a plan that would put those investments here in Canada and apply Canadian technology to the reduction of greenhouse gasses.
We think in the long term that will balance economic growth and environmental sustainability.
- Stephen Harper
The Greenest Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney was given ‘The Greenest Prime Minister’ award for his government’s various environmental initiatives between 1984 and 1993.
Mulroney is introduced at a dinner in his honor by Canadian comedy television personality Rick Mercer, Elizabeth May (now leader of the Green Party), Premier Jean Charest and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Rick Mercer’s Introduction
Rick Mercer introduces Brian Mulroney as ‘The Greenest Prime Minister’ at an award dinner honoring his environmental achievements.
The environment has to be the ultimate non-partisan issue. For too long its been perceived as an issue of the left, and that certainly cannot continue to be. There’s just so many unfortunate stereotypes … On one hand you have the stereotype of a conservative who is strict and unforgiving. And then you have the stereotype of an environmentalist which is … nuts. But it turns out, when you merge these two stereotypes you end up with the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney.
