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Speaking for the first time about the Conservatives since her surprise replacement as environment commissioner, Johanne Gélinas said the flurry of government announcements over the past few months don't add up to the comprehensive climate change plan she was promised last fall.

Ms. Gélinas said she is now free to speak publicly as a private citizen on environmental issues, but can't discuss the financial settlement she reached last week with her former employer, the Office of the Auditor-General.

She said she had been expecting to see more by now from the government after her report last September on climate change.

"Their response to my report at the time was that they were coming with a 'Made in Canada plan' and second, the government made clear that they will specify in that plan how my recommendations have been factored in," she said. "We still have no Made in Canada plan to address climate change, unless I have missed something in the last couple of weeks."

In a telephone interview yesterday, Ms. Gélinas said she found out that she had been replaced as commissioner Jan. 30 by reading a report on The Globe and Mail's website, globeandmail.com. She is still unsure, she said, as to exactly why she was replaced as she and Auditor-General Sheila Fraser have not spoken since the announcement.

Ms. Gélinas's cool assessment of the government's record so far comes as all three opposition leaders dismissed as inadequate a draft government plan to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

The contents of the Dec. 20 government documents, which were reported yesterday, show its targets will not force industry to reduce overall emissions year after year. Rather, they will require industry to reduce the intensity of emissions starting in 2010 and running until at least 2020.

Intensity reductions mean emissions per unit of production, such as a barrel of oil, must go down. But if more barrels of oil are sold, then the targets could be met while overall emissions rise.

The three opposition leaders expressed hope that the government has since beefed up the draft plan, since it predates Prime Minister Stephen Harper's January replacement of Rona Ambrose as environment minister with John Baird as part of a pledge to do "a lot more" on climate change.

"It's very disappointing," said NDP Leader Jack Layton, who has been courted for his support on climate change by the Conservatives. "We've said that intensity-based targets are an attempt to fool people and fool the environment and it won't work on either of those fronts and is therefore unacceptable."

Mr. Baird told reporters yesterday that he is still in consultations and that no final decisions have been made.

"When we come forward with our plan it'll be a strong plan that will get results for the environment," he said.

His spokesman later responded to Ms. Gélinas's comments, saying the numerous announcements do add up to a better climate change plan than the "fancy booklet" from Liberals that contained empty promises.

One of the leading industry officials who has been involved in the government's talks with industry said while the longer-term targets aren't yet decided, the draft plan is consistent with what he expects the final rules to look like.

"It seems consistent with the direction. I don't see anything in the [newspaper] report that particularly surprises me," said Mike Cleland, president and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association.

Mr. Cleland said Mr. Baird's appointment did not lead to any obvious changes in the industry talks.

"Minister Baird has clearly put a more aggressive or proactive face on things, but I think what we're seeing is a reflection of a lot of work that has gone on before that." So I don't sense a dramatic change in direction," he said.