Ten issues that should have been talked about in campaign, but weren’t
Whatever happened to Senate reform, Parliamentary decorum, aboriginal inclusion, refugee policy, skills development, and the future of the CBC? Or, for that matter, Calgary and Chicoutimi? And the Green Party? It’s evident that parties pick certain issues for their campaigns and then others just come up. And others just get left off. Here are 10 […]
Economy to grow, but in danger of being one with diminished expectations
TORONTO—As gasoline, electricity, food, and other prices keep rising while incomes stay flat, families are facing a painful squeeze on their budgets which can only make many of us feel poorer. The danger is that we could be facing a decade of lean years. Yet a surprise in the election is that, despite a focus […]
‘Still much to do’ on environment, climate change, energy, says Minister Kent
The following is a transcript of a speech Environment Minister Peter Kent made at the House of Common’s Environment Committee on March 8, 2011. He spoke about his department’s 2010 supplementary estimates and 2011 main estimates. T his government is keenly interested in striking the right balance between economic renewal and environmental protection. We have […]
Feds ‘not ready to respond to major oil spill’ says Environment Commissioner Vaughan
The following is a transcript from the March 10, 2011, Senate Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, in which Scott Vaughan, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, appeared to discuss his December 2010 report. F or years, the government has made repeated commitments to take the lead in protecting the environment and moving towards […]
PM Harper promises wildlife advisory panel, but environmentalists concerned it will make protecting endangered species more difficult
A new advisory panel proposed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to give rural groups better representation on wildlife conservation decisions would make protecting endangered species more difficult, environmental organizations say. Mr. Harper made the campaign promise to create a hunting and wildlife advisory panel made up of hunters, fishers, and conservation groups to offer advice […]
Experts support NRTEE advice, but climate change policy takes back seat on campaign trail
Despite expert approval and public support for a more aggressive climate change policy, the opening days of the 2011 election campaign have seen little or no discussion on strategies to tackle climate change. Earlier this year, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) released its most recent report, Parallel Paths: Canada-U.S. […]
It’s been five years of Conservative climate change inaction
After five years of Prime Minister Stephen Harper being in power, I suspect I have run out of different ways to say that he doesn’t care about climate change. Point in case was the recent federal budget. The Conservatives showed their true colours and they certainly weren’t green. The budget would spend billions on jets, […]
Critics concerned about food safety in Canada-U.S. border agreement
A border security agreement reached between Canada and the United States in February would weaken the Canadian government’s ability to protect its citizens from food diseases, say the NDP and Liberals. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama announced in February they were beginning negotiations to look at ways of harmonizing the two […]
Environmentalists hoping for new standards on national air quality regulations
Environmentalists say they hope that, after four years of waiting, federal and provincial governments will adopt new standards for national air quality regulations in the next year. Provincial environment ministers agreed in October 2010 to have the “major elements” of new emissions standards in place before the end of 2011. This would force industry members […]
Environment minister touts Conservative environmental leadership in face of criticism
Environment Minister Peter Kent says the federal government is providing environmental leadership through regulation stewardship, but the Conservatives’ public policies continue to face criticism on a number of fronts. In an interview last week with The Hill Times, Mr. Kent maintained that the Conservatives have a proven track record based on environmental regulation and stewardship. […]
