Dissent on climate change within Tory ranks

normanchateau · January 15, 2007

Ian Bailey, CanWest News Service; Vancouver Province

Published: Friday, January 12, 2007

VANCOUVER - Canada's rookie environment minister says he will face a tough fight with some Tory colleagues on green issues, according to an NDP MP who met with John Baird this week.

MP Nathan Cullen says Baird conceded to the concerns during a get-acquainted meeting in Vancouver with Cullen and federal NDP Leader Jack Layton.

''He expressed there's reluctance within some parts of his caucus,'' Cullen, MP for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, B.C., said Thursday, referring to NDP demands for dramatic action to counter climate change.

Meanwhile at the retreat, Layton demanded the Tories drop their opposition to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and embrace its targets and timetables.

''(The Tories) have painted themselves into a corner on this,'' said Cullen.

''(Baird's) the guy that's supposedly going to get them out of this and he's got a lot of work to do.''

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Vancouver Province

This article implies that John Baird will have a difficult task convincing his colleagues about global warming and Kyoto. I think this may be nothing more than spin. If Stephen Harper can get bozos like Myron Thompson to shut up, he can certainly stifle any global warming critics within his party. Come the next election, Harper and his party will pretend to be green just as Harper pretended to be in favour of the Canada Health Act despite his previous pronouncements.

Ricki Bobbi · January 15, 2007

If the NDP are going to run to the media over something this minor *everytime* they meet with Baird it doesn't bode well for working together to come up with a plan on the environment.

Get control of your caucus Jacko...

This is a good thing for the Conservatives. Once they do come up with a solid plan it will show how the progressive wing of the party is becoming more and more dominant on policy issues...

B. Max · January 15, 2007

If the NDP are going to run to the media over something this minor *everytime* they meet with Baird it doesn't bode well for working together to come up with a plan on the environment.
Get control of your caucus Jacko...

They should not give any concern to the ndp. They have lost something like 50% of their membership over the last couple of years. The Ont. auto works came out against layton and his crackpot kyoto suck up this week. Call Laytons bluff to force an election. He's holding a the dead mans hand.

mikedavid00 · January 15, 2007

"Canada's rookie environment minister..."

The only one implying something is the author of this 'news' article.

geoffrey · January 15, 2007

Suzuki said initial talks with Baird were refreshing and promising, he seemed excited. The CPC might have a knock out plan if they have Suzuki on board.

Whatever Layton whines about or Dion proclaims is rather irrelevant if Suzuki likes your plan.

Should repeat the interview at the 11:00 Global News.

Ricki Bobbi · January 15, 2007

Whatever Layton whines about or Dion proclaims is rather irrelevant if Suzuki likes your plan.
Should repeat the interview at the 11:00 Global News.

Yes, Suzuki has a lot of sway.

If they can get him on side that would be a huge plus. That *could* be enough to swing them a majority.

btw, I saw Suzuki do the interview on Question Period. So it will probably be on the late CTV News as well...

B. Max · January 15, 2007

Global warming comes to an end in the east.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/01...3382185-cp.html

scribblet · January 15, 2007

When people like Jack Layton et al realize that this planet is always changing, and continue to do so until the end of time.

Politicians are now using the gov't as a whipping boy to score political points - none of them can do anything froth at the mouth over it but it scores points with the voters. The Liberals did absolutely nothing for years, including Dion.

What we need to concentrate on is pollutants in the ocean and toxic wastes land etc, Kyoto is useless. A Canadian climatologist, Dr. Tim Bell, says "the Kyoto Protocol is a political solution to a non-existent problem without scientific justification."

Check out www.friendsofscience.ca which notes that no one has yet come up with a formula for predicting climate change.

I guess as an election time grows closer the politicians will continue to whip themselves into a frenzy over a problem we can do little about, but the public will buy into it.

jdobbin · January 15, 2007

When people like Jack Layton et al realize that this planet is always changing, and continue to do so until the end of time.
Politicians are now using the gov't as a whipping boy to score political points - none of them can do anything froth at the mouth over it but it scores points with the voters. The Liberals did absolutely nothing for years, including Dion.

What we need to concentrate on is pollutants in the ocean and toxic wastes land etc, Kyoto is useless. A Canadian climatologist, Dr. Tim Bell, says "the Kyoto Protocol is a political solution to a non-existent problem without scientific justification."

Check out www.friendsofscience.ca which notes that no one has yet come up with a formula for predicting climate change.

I guess as an election time grows closer the politicians will continue to whip themselves into a frenzy over a problem we can do little about, but the public will buy into it.

Tim Ball has not been retired for quite some time. I keep pointing this out and you people keep trotting it out. He has not done any recent research on this subject. Do an academic search and he has not produced any papers that counter what a majority of scientists say.

Exxon is not longer going to fund Friends of Science so we might be hearing a lot less of them.

normanchateau · January 15, 2007

Whatever Layton whines about or Dion proclaims is rather irrelevant if Suzuki likes your plan.
Should repeat the interview at the 11:00 Global News.

Yes, Suzuki has a lot of sway.

If they can get him on side that would be a huge plus. That *could* be enough to swing them a majority.

Yes, it could swing a majority if Canadians outside of Alberta actually believe that Stephen Harper, the man who proposed to Ralph Klein that a firewall be built around Alberta to protect it from an "aggressive and hostile" federal government, will seriously follow through with a plan endorsed by Suzuki. And if Canadians actually believe that, they'll believe anything that Harper promises...or Dion promises...or Layton promises...or Santa Claus promises.

mikedavid00 · January 15, 2007

Whatever Layton whines about or Dion proclaims is rather irrelevant if Suzuki likes your plan.
Should repeat the interview at the 11:00 Global News.

Yes, Suzuki has a lot of sway.

If they can get him on side that would be a huge plus. That *could* be enough to swing them a majority.

Yes, it could swing a majority if Canadians outside of Alberta actually believe that Stephen Harper, the man who proposed to Ralph Klein that a firewall be built around Alberta to protect it from an "aggressive and hostile" federal government, will seriously follow through with a plan endorsed by Suzuki. And if Canadians actually believe that, they'll believe anything that Harper promises...or Dion promises...or Layton promises...or Santa Claus promises.

I think you guys seriously, seriously, over estimate the fact that people in Canada don't give a damn about Suzuki.

Again last week they tried to do a discussion on the environment and people called in saying it wasn't there #1 issue. I think one lib wacko called up trying to claim the world was going to end, but people said it was probably on the bottom of their priority.

They don't even discuss it now because people simply don't care to call in and talk about it.

Any environmental plan is simply out to take money from Alberta - end of story.

Following Suzuki's plan, takes money away from Canadians - end of story.

Suzuki is a liberal organization to promote his self interest and person belief. Nothing more.

I wonder if I can pull up a quote of Suzuki discussing Global Cooling where he claims that we had better 'act fast' or we'll be in an ice age.

scribblet · January 15, 2007

I think you guys seriously, seriously, over estimate the fact that people in Canada don't give a damn about Suzuki.
Again last week they tried to do a discussion on the environment and people called in saying it wasn't there #1 issue. I think one lib wacko called up trying to claim the world was going to end, but people said it was probably on the bottom of their priority.

They don't even discuss it now because people simply don't care to call in and talk about it.

Any environmental plan is simply out to take money from Alberta - end of story.

Following Suzuki's plan, takes money away from Canadians - end of story.

Suzuki is a liberal organization to promote his self interest and person belief. Nothing more.

I wonder if I can pull up a quote of Suzuki discussing Global Cooling where he claims that we had better 'act fast' or we'll be in an ice age.

I think that too, most people agree we need to stop polluting our waters etc. but there are more immediate issues to be looked at. Although, Jack Layton et al are doing their best to make it a major political issue to score political points, which would be okay if we could actually stop climate change.

I hear that in Winnipeg, the zoo polar bears don't want to go outside because its too cold.