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'It means that they're not really interested in the perspectives of Canadian environmental groups and faith-based groups and labour unions and indigenous organizations and youth groups on this issue.'
Ottawa (6 Oct. 2009) - The Harper government is refusing to consult with environmental organizations in developing a plan to fight climate change domestically and internationally, says a report by The Hill Times, a newspaper devoted specifically to activities of the federal government and Parliament Hill.
Since becoming the environment minister in October 2008, Jim Prentice (PC - Calgary Centre North) has met with lobbyists from various corporations and organizations more than 130 times, according to the Lobbyists Registry.
"Only a handful of meetings were with representatives not from industry, including officials from the Pembina Institute twice, the David Suzuki Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund twice, Wildlife Habitat Canada, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, and the University of Calgary, almost all of which took place last November when Mr. Prentice first took over the environment portfolio," the newspaper reports.
"Since then, (Prentice has) met several times with Alliance of Manufacturers & Exporters Canada, J.D. Irving Limited, Nova Scotia Power, EnCana, Shell, Suncor Energy, Imperial Oil Limited, the Mining Association of Canada, Saskatchewan Power, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, ATCO Power, Ford Motor Company, BP Canada Energy, Enbridge, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association and the Forest Products Association of Canada among several others, according to the registry."
Graham Saul of the Climate Action Network says dialogue and consultation on the part of the government appears to be largely confined to corporations and various provincial governments.
"They have not, despite our repeated requests, been consulting with civil society organizations and Canadian environmental groups," Saul added. "Over the last three years there may have been one or two meetings between environmental organizations and government bureaucrats set up with the specific purpose of hearing perspectives on a cap-and-trade system, but it was over a year ago, and the government really doesn't have a strategy for engaging Canadian organizations on its climate policy."
The message is obvious, Saul told the newspaper.
"It means that they're not really interested in the perspectives of Canadian environmental groups and faith-based groups and labour unions and indigenous organizations and youth groups on this issue. Basically this government isn't interested in the opinions of important constituencies within society. Canada's currently the worst country in the industrialized world when it comes to taking action on climate change, when it comes to international negotiations. Their failure to develop a strategy to reach out to Canadian organizations on the design of their domestic legislation is just reflective of that."
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Environmental organizations say government isn't talking to them