Posted on 01/30/2007 7:05:59 PM PST by nypokerface
Prime Minister Stephen Harper once called the Kyoto accord a "socialist scheme" designed to suck money out of rich countries, according to a letter leaked Tuesday by the Liberals.
The letter, posted on the federal Liberal party website, was apparently written by Harper in 2002, when he was leader of the now-defunct Canadian Alliance party.
He was writing to party supporters, asking for money as he prepared to fight then-prime minister Jean Chrétien on the proposed Kyoto accord.
"We're gearing up now for the biggest struggle our party has faced since you entrusted me with the leadership," Harper's letter says.
"I'm talking about the 'battle of Kyoto' — our campaign to block the job-killing, economy-destroying Kyoto accord."
The accord is an international environmental pact that sets targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Canada officially ratified the accord Dec. 17, 2002, under Chrétien's Liberal government. Harper's Conservative government, which took power January 2006, has since been accused of ignoring the accord.
Harper's letter goes on to outline why he's against the agreement.
Accord based on 'contradictory' data: Harper
He writes that it's based on "tentative and contradictory scientific evidence" and it focuses on carbon dioxide, which is "essential to life."
He says Kyoto requires that Canada make significant cuts in emissions, while countries like Russia, India and China face less of a burden.
Under Kyoto, Canada was required to reduce emissions by six per cent by 2012, while economies in transition, like Russia, were allowed to choose different base years.
"Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations," Harper's letter reads.
He said the accord would cripple the oil and gas industries, which are essential to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
He wrote in the letter that he would do everything he could to stop Chrétien from passing the Kyoto agreement.
"We will do everything we can to stop him there, but he might get it passed with the help of the socialists in the NDP and the separatists in the BQ [Bloc Québécois]."
The Prime Minister's Office refused to comment about the letter on the record.
In recent weeks, Harper has spoken strongly about the environment, saying he will dramatically revamp his minority government's much-criticized Clean Air Act.
His comments come as public-opinion polls indicate the environment has become the number one issue among Canadians.
Liberal MP Mark Holland told the Canadian Press on Tuesday that the leaked letter shows that Harper isn't actually committed to climate change.
"Now, suddenly, because he has seen the polls and realized the political opportunism of going green, the prime minister has launched a new campaign — that of trying to convince Canadians that he actually cares about the environment," Holland said.
"But no one is buying it."
The Kyoto Protocol went into effect Feb. 16, 2005, with 141 countries signing on, including every major industrialized country, except the United States, Australia and Monaco.
It'll be a wonder if some leftoid Canucks don't try to run him up before the with charges of "crimes against humanity."
What the heck did we just say a few days ago, Harper hit the nail on the head!
Did I ping you to this one?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1775002/posts
Trading Hot Air?
Notice the amount of carbon credits China already owns.
Bump!
Harper must hang here at FR. ;-)
according to a letter leaked Tuesday by the Liberals.
Funny!!! Liberal IED explodes in face.
Sounds like he understands the issue.
Yeah, but Arnie is scheduled to go see Harper soon.
Let's hope he doesn't "straighten him out".
Not exactly. They international bankers behind this ruse want to use "carbon taxes" to fund investments abroad, selling technologies from companies they hold, financing infrastructure to improve the profitability of factories abroad, etc.
May Canada join us in withdrawing from the Kyoto farce.
Go Harper!
Canada ping.
Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.
LOL!
You can't have him.
Thems fightin' words there buddy.......
I told him about FR, but I don't know if he lurks or not.
Probably his staff does. ;-)
Kyoto is dead anyway. The "Earth Charter" is all the rage now. Heck, Gorbachev helped write it, it must be good.
Kyoto is about implementing the economic and social objectives of Agenda 21 and will not in any way reduce carbon emissions. The sooner people wake up to this fact the better. Then perhaps the world can get on with reducing pollution - whatever the source. And it is about time third world countries stopped overpopulating.
What is Agenda 21?
A plan adopted by a UN Conference in the early 1990s. Maurice Strong was in charge. The essence of Agenda 21 is that environmental improvement involves a transfer of wealth from the developed to the developing world. One point is that you won't resolve overpopulation in third world countries until you liberate women and provide them with new economic opportunities. Then they will have options other than childbearing. The underlying assumption is that the first world is responsible for pollution and must therefore carry the cost. Hence countries such as China and India are exempt under Kyoto.
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