Environment
Problem:
Globally Canada has abandoned the Kyoto emission targets. Nationally Harper renewed $1.4 billion in annual subsidies for companies developing Alberta’s tar sands. The environment is at risk and the government lacks the incentive to protect it.
NDP Solution:
Re-introduce the Clean Air and Climate Change Act, as well as the Climate Change Accountability Act. This bill has been defeated in the Senate after the elected Members of the Parliament have approved it. These bills, introduced by New Democrats, will put Canada back on track with our climate commitments by:
- Cutting greenhouse gas emissions: 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% by 2050.
- Setting regulations to ensure we are meeting our targets.
- Punishing polluters who break regulations
- Ensuring government accountability with publicized 5 year target plans
- Ensuring accountability by creating in-depth, publicized reviews of performance.
- Establishing independent reviews to ensure government measures reach targets
Conservatives on the environment:
- Used the non-elected Senate to block passage of our ground-breaking climate change initiatives
- Mr. Harper believes that “Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations”.
- Supports development of the Alberta oil sands, a move which environmentalists have called “disastrous”.
Liberals on the environment:
- Signed Kyoto accords in 1997 and failed to meet any targets before leaving office in 2005.
- Mr. Ignatieff believes that “Canada must stay committed to Kyoto” (2006), but refused to sign KyotoPlus in 2011 saying “I’m not going to let a petition be the test as to whether I’ve got a credible climate change policy”. Where does he really stand?
