Four of Canada's former prime ministers have joined together with business leaders, environmentalists and academics in demanding that the country do more to tackle climate change.
The group plans to release a document today entitled Time To Get Serious on Climate Change. Former Liberal prime ministers Paul Martin and John Turner have signed the document, along with their former Progressive Conservative counterparts, Kim Campbell and Joe Clark.
But two names are conspicuously absent: that of former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien and former Tory prime minister Brian Mulroney.
John Roy, a real estate executive and one of the key players behind the initiative, said in an interview yesterday that every former prime minister was contacted about joining.
“We're still waiting to hear back from them,” he said, referring to Mr. Chrétien and Mr. Mulroney. “I think they're very busy.”
Mr. Chrétien could not be reached for comment yesterday. A spokesman for Mr. Mulroney said staff in his Montreal office have no recollection of receiving such a request.
“He would be pleased to consider the request but he has not yet received it,” said Robin Sears.
The group is known as Canadians for Climate Leadership and its members include the environmentalist Pembina Institute. It describes itself as non partisan, but it has jumped into the political fray by releasing the document just as the campaign for the Oct. 14 federal election heads into its third day.
“I am very concerned by the lack of decisive action by Ottawa on climate change,” says Mr. Clark, whose government lasted only nine months until its defeat by the Liberals in March, 1980. “We are falling further behind other comparable nations, and simply cannot afford another round of posturing and denial in this next election - more than ever, we need a clear and honest commitment by all parties for strong, simple and effective climate laws.”
Climate change and the environment are shaping up to be major issues in the election campaign as Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion comes under attack for his controversial carbon tax plan. His "green shift" plan would tax carbon emissions to encourage more environmental behaviour and return the revenue in the form of tax cuts. Even Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, a fellow Liberal, refused to endorse it yesterday.
Mr. Roy said the group is not supporting any political party during the campaign. Rather, he said, it plans to arm Canadians with information so they can make informed choices about which candidate is doing the most to help the country become a leader on climate change.
In its document, the group says tackling climate change will require steep cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases both in Canada and around the world. The document, a copy of which was obtained by The Globe and Mail, says Canadians face risks both from climate change itself and from doing nothing, which could push Canada into “ill-considered” actions dictated by other countries.
Canada has made no progress in reducing emissions, the document says. Every facet of Canadian society has to be involved in such a challenge and policies to slow climate change must include measures that put a price on greenhouse-gas emissions.
“But the crucial missing piece has been effective policies, which only governments can enact,” it says.
