Scott's DiaTribes: Killing the Senate requires the Constitution to be opened as well

My Premier, Dalton Mcguinty, has been long on the record that he is for killing the Senate, rather then reforming it, and he reinforced that with another statement to that effect in response to Harper’s proposed Senate reforms. He is joined in that belief by the Nova Scotia Premier, and both of them are in agreement with the federal NDP, who have long advocated that position.

The problem of course with calling for the abolition of the Senate is the same potential roadblock that faces changing the Senate to an elected body (notwithstanding Harper’s attempts to sidestep it, and Quebec appears ready to take the Feds to court […]

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CalgaryGrit: Hidden Agenda?

The Ontario Tories bared more than their…uhh…private members…this weekend, releasing their election platform (summarized by CP here).I’ve always been a fan of parties releasing their platforms early – it gives you time to define yourself, and sho…

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John Laforet - President - Wind Concerns Ontario: Coal and Racism as Political Weapons in Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario

Surprised to see coal and racism have anything to do with each other? Welcome to Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario. Disagree with him and you’re a coal loving, puppy kicking, candy stealing from a child, racist. You probably want to close hospitals and schools too. The wind industry and it’s political supporters (and donation recipients) at the […]

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John Laforet - President - Wind Concerns Ontario: Wind Welfare Warriors Just Don’t Get It (But Thank God They’re Losing)

I would be lying if I said I was surprised the Ontario Liberals and their paid for lackeys at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association and Environmental Defense had conniption fits and went to the Twitter-verse to vent their spleens about how awful/ignorant/evil/cruel anyone who would dare get in the way of their access to our […]

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John Laforet - President - Wind Concerns Ontario: The ‘Truth about Turbines Tour’ Begins Next Week in Thunder Bay

As always, I am looking forward to going back to Thunder Bay to stand with the folks who volunteer countless hours with the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee (NMEPC) as they oppose Horizon Wind’s plans to clear cut and blast watershed protection lands to install industrial wind turbines. These turbines would tower 1200 feet over the […]

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Runesmith's Canadian Content: Harper, Energy and the Environment: It’s the Politics, Stupid!

This is getting embarrassing.

Up until recently, the best the Harper government could say about our dismal record on climate change, energy and the environment was that we were doing better than the Americans. But now that even the beleaguered Obama administration is making progress on this front, Canada’s intransigence is starting to make us look like we’re actually moving backwards.

U.S. to impose new emission rules on power plants, refineries

The Obama administration has announced plans to impose new greenhouse-gas emission rules on power plants and refineries, a move that will increase pressure on the Harper government to introduce its own national emissions regulations in 2011.

The U.S. Environment Protection Agency said over the holidays that it will propose emission performance standards for new and existing fossil-fuel facilities this year, despite opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress.

The sad thing is, the Harper government’s blinkered approach to the environment has translated into a bizarre, visceral aversion to anything remotely resembling a national energy policy. Which, for a party that continues to insist they are the best bet for the Canadian economy, may be their most insanely retrograde policy position yet.

Seriously – when even the oil companies are figuring out that renewables are the way of the future, you’d think their buddies in government would be willing to help them out with some sort of coherent policy that would bring us in line with their international competitors and customers.

Of course, now we have a brand new Environment Minister who might finally… oh, never mind.

With serious action ruled out in advance, the Harper government’s environment minister must be a smooth talker. He must be prepared to repeat things that are demonstrably false – as in Canada will reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by 17 per cent by 2020 from 2005 levels – with a straight face while all those around you are cracking up in derision. When necessary, the minister must bluster.

Peter Kent, a former television presenter, should therefore fit the definition splendidly of what is required of a Harper government environment minister. Since all important decisions are taken by the Prime Minister anyway, it shouldn’t matter that Mr. Kent has no background in the file nor has ever shown any interest in the issues. He is there to rag the puck, so to speak.

To understand the reasoning behind this economically unreasonable position, one need look no further than the poll numbers for Ontario’s Liberal government.

Dalton McGuinty has implemented one of the most ambitious and progressive energy policies in North America, and although it’s not without its flaws (cough… nuclear… cough), lo and behold it seems that it’s actually working. He’s implemented a feed-in tariff, similar to systems in Europe, that has resulted in a boom in renewable energy projects and the creation of thousands of much needed manufacturing jobs in the green energy sector. He’s well on his way (better late than never) to fulfilling a promise to shut down every coal-fired power plant in the province. He’s investing millions in upgrading our energy grid to make it more efficient and less vulnerable to surges and blackouts, and allow for decentralized, greener power generation.

These are exactly the sorts of large scale, long-term projects that save economies but kill governments. Why? Because they cost money and/or raise prices in the short term, and that’s all people see. Who cares if we’re going to be world leaders in energy and green technology ten years from now when gas is $5.00 a litre and we’re all charging our electric cars for pennies a ride? Dammit, my Hydro bill went up two and a half bucks!

Which is why the Ontario Liberals may well find themselves out of power come the next election, and by the time we start reaping the real rewards of their policies, the PCs will be there to gleefully take the credit.

(Of course the converse works as well: the inevitable results of the Harris/Eaves government’s popular but short-sighted tax and program cuts have also taken years to take their full effect – just in time for the Liberals to wear that, too.)

These are the political equations which guide Stephen Harper’s every move – not economics, and certainly not public benefit. Which is why he will continue to do absolutely nothing on the environment or energy files that won’t immediately benefit him politically. In other words, nothing.

Short-term gain, long-term pain. That’s how you stay in power.

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