I am currently in a sustainable communities conference in Kelowna and
unable to express outrage in my own words at what just happened. Please
read this release from Senator Grant Mitchell's office (posted below). Then please
blog, email, write newspapers and ensure Canadians know that debate in
the Senate was shut down on our only climate bill.
Conservative Senators kill Canada’s only climate change bill
Unelected Conservative Senators killed Bill C-311 (Climate Change Accountability Act) without sending it to committee for further study or input from Canadians.
The defeat of this piece of legislation before the committee stage by the Conservative Senators is unprecedented. The Conservatives’ disregard for the House of Commons and this bill is underlined by the fact that not a single Conservative Senator has debated the bill even though it was presented in the Senate 193 days ago.
With only a part-time Environment Minister and no climate change plan, the Conservative Government has seemingly nothing to discuss at the international climate talks in Cancun, Mexico.
“Killing Bill C-311 shows a fundamental lack of respect for the many Canadians who care deeply about climate change. They had a right to have this bill debated properly,” said Senator Grant Mitchell, the sponsor of the bill in the Senate.
Bill C-311 would have called on the government to establish five year plans to meet greenhouse gas emission targets by 2050. The plans would have been monitored by the Environment Commissioner and the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy to provide accountability to Parliament and Canadians.-30-
Contact:
The Office of Senator Grant Mitchell
613-995-4254
tolsms@sen.parl.gc.ca