Opposition slams Harper's stance on Commonwealth binding emissions targets
Last Updated: Monday, November 26, 2007 | 5:01 PM ET
CBC News
Related
Internal Links
Opposition parties came out swinging at Prime Minister Stephen Harper's refusal to sign on to a Commonwealth climate change deal Monday, saying Canada is out of step with the rest of the world.
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion accused Harper, who didn't sign a weekend deal calling for binding cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, of ignoring the "worst ecological threat known to humanity."
"Instead of leading by example, he engaged in sabotage at the conference," said Dion. "Why is he leading Canadians in a race to the bottom?"
During the weekend meeting in Uganda, Canada and Australia opposed a proposal calling on developed Commonwealth countries to meet the binding targets. Without consensus, the Commonwealth was blocked.
Harper argued Canada wouldn't support any deal unless it imposed binding targets on some of the world's biggest polluters like the United States, China and India.
Liberal deputy leader Michael Ignatieff said Harper had turned his back on the 53-member Commonwealth.
"When the Commonwealth turned to Canada and asked to commit to binding targets, Canada looked away," said Ignatieff.
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe chided Harper for calling the Kyoto Protocol "a mistake" that shouldn't be repeated.
"Isn't he showing his true colours, that's he's a champion of oil industry and he's using all his political clout to counter any real climate change plan," said Duceppe.
Environment Minister John Baird, who repeatedly accused the former Liberal government of failing to tackle climate change during its time in power, said Harper is taking a strong stand on the issue.
"We're not prepared to let the big emitters off the hook," said Baird. "We need everyone with an oar in the water rowing together."
The targets would have been meaningless without a wider international deal, he said.
"This is a crisis of environmental and world proportions," said Baird. "We need all hands on deck. We need all countries to accept binding targets so we can get the job done for our planet."
With files from the Canadian PressShare Tools
Top News Headlines
- Online surveillance bill tabled in House
- A bill that would give police and intelligence agencies new powers to access Canadians' electronic communications, sometimes without a warrant, has been tabled in the House of Commons. more »
- Fantino says Canada's F-35 jet purchase 'evolving'
- Canada's minister responsible for military procurement now appears open to adjusting the Defence Department's order for F-35 fighter jets, citing an economic environment "we may not have any control over." more »
- What to get your special someone on Valentine's Day
- For those looking for a last-minute Valentine's Day gift, here are some ideas — from the traditional to the outlandish. more »
- Sperm donor anonymity case moves to B.C. Appeal Court
- The B.C. government hopes to retain the anonymity of sperm donors as it launches a high-court appeal of a ruling last year won by a woman who wanted to know the identity of her father. more »
Latest Technology & Science News Headlines
- Higgs boson hunt aided by energy boost
- The world's largest particle accelerator is ramping up its beam energy in hopes that scientists will learn definitively this year whether the last undiscovered particle in the Standard Model of Physics exists. more »
- Nortel hit by suspected Chinese cyberattacks for a decade
- Hackers based in China enjoyed widespread access to Nortel's computer network for nearly a decade, according to a report. more »
- Canada dropping the ozone ball, scientists warn
- Leading atmospheric scientists are warning that Canada's cuts to its ozone monitoring program are already having effects on the world's ability to monitor air quality and ozone depletion. more »
- Ban Wi-Fi in classroom, Ontario teachers union urges
- The Ontario English Catholic Teacher's Association says computers in all new schools should be hardwired instead of setting up wireless networks, citing safety concerns. more »
Bob McDonald's Blog
Glacier Discovery Walk: Will the visitor centre enhance the view? Feb. 14, 2012 9:22 AM Environment minister Peter Kent has announced the construction of a new Glacier Discovery Walk and visitor centre on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park. It raises the issue of how to balance commercial development in our National Parks against the preservation of the last refuges of wilderness.
Quirks & Quarks
- February 11: Inside the Mind of a Neandertal Feb. 10, 2012 4:01 PM Can we get inside the mind of a species that's been dead for 30,000 years? A new book, How to Think Like a Neanderthal, suggests we can. The authors reconstruct a creature like us in many ways, but with important differences.
Latest Features
- Online surveillance critics accused of supporting child porn
- HMCS Corner Brook collision damage extensive
- Whitney Houston's funeral to be held Saturday
- Mandatory gun sentence struck down by Ontario judge
- Mooning Queen proves costly for Australian man
- Stanley Cup rioter seen in brick attack on cop
- Whitney Houston estate value set to soar
- Man pleads guilty to murder of stepdaughter, 17
- Teen's Facebook post prompts dad to shoot computer
