Statement made on 25 November 2010 by Senator James Cowan
Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Last Friday, there was an article published by Reuters in Britain, the title of which was "CANADA: A Govt Versus Its people on Climate Change." That article was written following the defeat of Bill C-311 in the chamber last week and it argued that there is obviously a real disconnect between this government and the Canadian people with respect to climate change.
The results of an Environics research poll last week revealed that the vast majority of Canadians want their government to urgently take action in order to address climate change. Over 80 per cent said that the government should invest in green jobs and transition programs for workers and communities affected by a shift from fossil fuel; 85 per cent also agreed that:
Industrialized countries . . . should be the most responsible for reducing current emissions.
The results of this poll are the Canadian portion of a global referendum on climate change that documents the views of citizens all over the world. The final results will be presented at next week's conference in Cancun and they will provide some context for these negotiations.
Where these poll results clearly indicate a demand from Canadians for greater action from their government, how will Minister Baird justify his government's inaction and explain to the world why his government is completely at odds with Canadians on the matter of climate change?
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