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The Climate Change Accountability Act (C-311), a private member's bill tabled by NDP MP Bruce Hyer, will be voted on at second reading in House of Commons this afternoon. This groundbreaking bill would set national climate targets that allow Canada to play a responsible part in the global effort to tackle climate change.
Ottawa (1 April 2009) - The House of Commons passed a virtually identical bill, then known as C-377, last June with unanimous support from all three opposition parties, but the fall 2008 election cut short the bill’s progress before it could become law. Conservative MPs consistently voted against the bill.
James Clancy, National Union president wrote on March 5th to the Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff and Liberal Environment Critic, David McGuinty to urge the Liberals to vote as they did in the fall - in favour of this important climate bill.
There is some question of the Liberals pulling there support for the bill. This has ignited all those that champion strong and immediate action on climate change to push for commitments from the Liberals.
Background: Bill C-311 proposes to set national greenhouse gas (GHG) targets based on scientific assessments of the emission reductions needed to avoid dangerous climate change. C-311 would also require a national climate change plan to reach the targets, along with regulations to implement the national plan. The bill would extend accountability and transparency measures from the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act — a private member’s bill introduced by Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez — so that they can continue once the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012.