Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Canada Again Seeks to Sabotage Climate Change Action


We're at it again.  The Guardian reports that Canada is trying to persuade other industrial nations to renege on their climate change commitments.

Canada has dropped any remaining pretences of supporting global action  on climate change by urging other countries to follow Australia's example in gutting its climate plan.

In a formal statement, the Canadian government sas it "applauds" the move by Australia this week to repeal a carbon tax on the country's 300 biggest polluters.

"Canada applauds the decision by prime minister Abbott to introduce legislation  to repeal Australia's carbon tax.  The Australian prime minister's decision will be noticed around the world and sends an important message," the formal statement from Paul Calandra, parliamentary secretary to Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper,said.

...the praise for Australia marked the first time Canada has actively sought to discourage other industrialised countries from following through on their own climate change commitments.

Australia is the developed world's worst polluter per head of population, but Canada, under the Harper government, is close behind at 16.2 tonnes. 

4 comments:

crf said...

Along with telling the United States that Canada will only accept one answer from them on KeystoneXL, this is one of the most unbelievable things this government has done in the foreign policy field.

It's interfering in the internal politics of Australia. Whatever the wisdom of any Australian policy, unless it seriously and directly affects Canada, Canada should not officially comment on it.

I suppose you can compare putting a price on carbon against other policies and find some things wanting. But most economists think it is a very sound option. If there is a serious argument against carbon taxes, our government has never advanced it.

It's transparently glib. He doesn't actually care about Australia's climate policy: has our government said a word about it previously? Has it ever explained how Australia's policies affect Canada? Harper is just using Australia as a crutch to support his climate policy which he has had a hard time logically defending in parliament. Now he can point to another government just like his own (one might argue that the path taken by just one lemming toward a cliff could be inadvisable. But could two lemmings possibly be wrong?).

Even Australians who agree with Abbott probably don't want their country shown off like a whore in a foreign country's parliament, just so some pol they've never heard of can chortle about this bad "tax on everything".

the salamander said...

.. oopsy .. there's goes Stephen Harper or his stand-in, or his PMO or their unelected stand-ins.. Braying to the world on matters they neglected to mention, consult or represent Canadians on .. Part of the blank ethical cheque modus operendusall Stevie is flapping along on.

Meanwhile Flaherty burps out an 'immaculate budget surplus' .. Joe Oliver sanctifies green bitumen, Peter Kent grazes in the back benches.. Fantino just runs on his own myth, and Clement is in it all up to his scrawny Muskoka neck with John Baird, Ray Novak, Stephen Lecce and the herdmeistress Jenni Byrne

Hopefully this cabal collapses soon, drags Christy Clark and the Alberta ragmuffin sisters down with them .. .. sheesh ... and Polievre and machine gun mouth Moore too

The Mound of Sound said...

I think you're too kind on the Conservatives, Chris. I actually find this rather sinister.

Sal, I hope they're brought down - in time for that to make a difference by a party that would make a difference.

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the Libs and the NDP are also petro-pols.

gingersnap said...

Canada has become a, cesspool of corruption because of Harper. As we all know, Harper has no decency, honor, ethics nor morals, what-so-ever.

The BC Liberals also work for Harper. Ex BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell is Harper's favorite henchman. You may remember, Fadden of CSIS warned of Communist China's huge inroads into our country. BC was specifically mentioned because, Campbell had already given much of BC to Communist China. Harper rewarded Campbell the post as, High Commissioner to the U.K. Campbell did a huge lot of dirty work for Harper.

Communist China pretty much owns all of BC now. China paid for 800 hectares at Prince Rupert. Communist China also wants, the timber and the mines on Vancouver Island. That is now in the works. The BC Liberals, thieved land in the ALR on Vancouver Island. Harper also handed Red China the 200 BC mine jobs. There are 18 mine permits on Vancouver Island. Harper and the BC Liberals have given Communist China our natural gas. Harper will also force the Enbridge pipeline onto BC. Petro-China has put in a bid, to build the Enbridge pipeline. It is Harper running BC. Christy Clark is too much of a ditz. She is merely Harper's mouth piece. Her speeches are all written for her. Strangely, Harper, Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, all lied and cheated to win their elections.

Harper has signed a deal with, the Red China Communist Army.

Our young Canadian boys were shot and blown into fragments so, we wouldn't have an evil Fascist Dictator, such as Harper governing this country. Quite frankly, Harper is not worth their dying for.

None of us can believe, Harper had the gall to attend Canadians Armistice Day Services. None of the Conservatives had any business being there. Many veterans, turned their backs towards Harper's henchmen, as they were giving their lying, false speeches.

If our Veterans weren't so old now? They would have started a resistance, against the Fascist Harper. Red China Army or not.