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On October 21, Conservative and Liberal MPs joined forces to delay passage of Bill C-311, the Copenhagen Climate Bill.
Ottawa (October 23, 2009) - Only six weeks before climate talks in Copenhagen, Members of Parliament voted to add 30 more days to study the bill at Environment Committee meetings.
The vote was 169 in favour of delay, 93 against. New Democrats and Bloc Québécois MPs voted solidly in favour of fast-tracking the climate bill. They were joined by fourteen Liberals who disagreed with the go-slow approach.
Unfortunately, most Liberals joined the Conservatives to delay the bill. Liberal Environment Critic David McGuinty says the bill needs more study. So far, the Liberals have failed to recognize the urgency of passing a climate plan.
Meanwhile, Canada is increasingly isolated on the world stage. Canadian negotiators are hard at work, actively sabotaging climate talks. During the recent summit in New York, Prime Minister Harper visited a Tim Horton’s donut shop while world leaders spoke about the climate crisis.
It’s clear that the Harper government does not have a climate plan. Members of Parliament need to work together to pass Bill C-311 now, so that the government is given clear directions to play a constructive role during the climate talks in December.
Bill C-311 will ensure that Canada commits to science-based targets to avoid runaway climate change, following recommendations of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Canada can match the commitments of other countries, and reverse years of inaction. Passing this crucial legislation now will help us avoid a climate catastrophe, and create thousands of green jobs.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE