Posted on 11/20/2002 12:12:14 PM PST by RightWhale
Canadian PM pledges to steamroll Kyoto ratification through parliament
OTTAWA (AFP) Nov 20, 2002
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien pledged Tuesday to force parliamentary approval of the Kyoto Protocol by the end of the year, even without a detailed plan on how to implement Canada's commitment.
The pledge, in both a meeting with reporters and during the House of Commons' Question Period, came in the wake of threats by Chretien's nemesis within the governing Liberal Party, former finance minister Paul Martin. Martin is the front-runner to succeed Chretien as leader of the Liberal Party and as prime minister when Chretien retires in February 2004. He has suggested Kyoto should not go forward without further debate.
In the House, Chretien strongly reiterated his government's pledge to ratify Kyoto, saying: "This is the reality. This is the executive power."
In the corridors of parliament, Martin supporters, speaking on background, said that their potential leader would not defy a party whip on the issue.
At the heart of the debate is a continuing Canadian row over the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces. The federal government is the body that signs and ratifies international treaties, while Canada's provincial governments have the sole authority for implementing regulations essential to meet treaty requirements or goals.
Under the protocol, Canada would commit itself to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by six percent by 2010 from 1990 levels, or about 240 megatonnes a year.
A planned meeting of federal and provincial environment and energy ministers, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until next week.
Chretien insisted that, with or without agreement from the provinces, he will push ahead with a ratification vote before parliament wraps up the holiday break in about four weeks' time.
The power to do dumb things.
President Bush was the first one to make the lot of those thugs do what they are supposed to do...and the proof of their actions, should it be warranted, has not been written yet.
Canadians look out, if you thought Socialized Medicine would be cheaper and easier to obtain, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
If Canada simply wants to take another step closer to being a Third World country, then so be it. But if doing so means that the cost of Alberta oil shipped to the U.S. will go up more than three cents per barrel, then trust me -- it ain't gonna happen.
If not, let's hope Alberta (and Saskatchewan and BC) secede.
On another thread I wrote that Martin said today that he believes Canadians deserve to know more about, and the costs, of Kyoto. He claims to still support Chretien, just that more time is needed. Chretien has tried to deny Martin his shot at being PM ( he even fired him earlier this year when he was Minister of Finance). Is it conceivable that Martin is setting up Chretien for a vote of non-confdence? Martin and 51 Liberals voted last week against Chretien on another issue. If Chretien declares it a free vote ,like last week, he'll lose his Kyoto. If Chretien pushes Kyoto as an "executive decision" using "exectutive power" and Martin supports him , how does that make Martin look when he tries to become Liberal leader and PM after Chretien is gone. He'll have shown disdain for parliament.
Or does Martin vote against Chretien, hoping to bring down the Chretien government and push Chretien into retirement early and become the Liberal leader for the election?
If there is a vote. If no vote, what will the provices do? Ontario, Alberta, N.S,BC have said no. Any more?
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