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 Tom Lukiwski, Conservative Member of Parliament for Regina Lumsden Lake Centre, spoke for 120 minutes in the House of Commons Environment Committee meeting earlier this week. He does not normally attend those meetings, but was sent there, as one of the procedural experts in the Conservative Party. His intervention effectively stalled debate on the new Kyoto Bill recently tabled in the House of Commons by Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez. The Bill has the support of all parties in Opposition.
The tactic of the Conservatives seems to be to badmouth good legislation and cuss out those who support it.
Lukiwski: What's he smiling about?
Parliament of Canada photo.
"We felt very strongly about the fact that what Mr. Rodriguez was
trying to do was fast-track an obsolete and out-of-date plan which most
experts, quite frankly, have discredited, and that's called the Kyoto
plan," Lukiwski said.
In
fact, the Kyoto Protocol has been maligned primarily by
pseudo-scientific groups created and funded by the Philip Morris
tobacco company and the Exxon Mobil petroleum company. George Monbiot, in his new book Heat, discusses what he calls "the denial industry."
These organisations take a consistent line on climate change: that the
science is contradictory, the scientists are split, environmentalists
are charlatans, liars or lunatics, and if governments took action to
prevent global warming, they would be endangering the global economy
for no good reason. The findings these organisations dislike are
labelled “junk science”. The findings they welcome are labelled “sound
science”.
Monbiot points to the website, Exxonsecrets.org, which lists 124 groups which have received support from Exxon Mobil to derail Kyoto. Canada's right-wing think tank, the Fraser Institute, is on the list. Is it any wonder, then, that the New Conservative Government of Canada is trying to derail the new Kyoto bill?
The Opposition leaders, who represent the majority of Canadian voters,
are displeased. In a news conference, Bloc Quebecois Leader, Gilles
Duceppe, said the Tories are arrogant and incompetent and "acting like
amateurs."
NDP Leader, Jack Layton, placed the blame squarely on Harper, saying, “He has an arrogant and controlling attitude to
his caucus, to the media, to the Canadian public, and also to the
representatives (in opposition) of a majority of the Canadian people...This is why we’re seeing a logjam in the House of
Commons. There is no desire on the part of his government to work with
other parties.”
Regarding Lukiwski's actions, Liberal MP, Pablo Rodriguez, author of
the Kyoto bill said, “It was a historic performance, yes, but it’s one
they should
be ashamed of - not proud.”That this should be happening in a
minority
government situation is odd. Traditionally, minority Parliaments
produce good legislation that pleases much of the public. Stephen
Harper and his New Government of Canada, however, seem to be ignoring
that tradition in their bid to "rebrand" this Canadian government as
different from those previous.
Different, indeed.
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Good info!
Written by Marti on 2006-10-29 11:55:32
Why am I not surprised? |
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