Here in the US we have always looked to our neighbors to the north with respect over the care they have demonstrated for the environment. Sadly, that is no longer true. The conservative (Canada’s closest thing to US Republicans) government there is parroting the policies of US Republicans and fouling their own nest the way the Republican Party is fouling ours.
For years, Canada has been seen as an environmental leader on the world stage, pushing other nations to tackle acid rain, save the ozone layer and sign global treaties to protect biodiversity.
Those were the old days.
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is rewriting the nation’s environmental laws to speed the extraction and export of oil, minerals and other materials to a global market clamoring for Canada’s natural resources.
“The government is saying, politically, we want to hitch our wagon to an economic development strategy in which natural resource extraction plays a very large part,” said Brian Crowley, managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a public policy think tank in Ottawa.
The government has added provisions to an omnibus budget bill that would revamp the way the government reviews the environmental impact of major projects, regulates threats to fisheries and scrutinizes the political activities of nonprofit groups… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Washington Post>
It is my hope that Canada will dump Harper and his harlots, before he turns one of the world’s greatest concentrations of pristine beauty into a cesspit!
12 Responses to “Harper’s Harlots to Trash Environment”
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I really hate these omnibus bills that link everything including the kitchen sink into one bill. Canada’s Harper has a “budget” bill (it literally has everything in it including government pension reforms, employment insurance, environmental issues etc) that is so large that it cannot be debated satisfactorily — either 400 or 4,000 pages (I can’t remember which but probably the latter) — not to mention they want to limit debate. In addition, Harper and his harlots have a majority so passage is almost guaranteed. The opposition moved to have the bill broken down into five parts, but Harper’s Harlots, the Conservatives, refused.
As far as the pipeline goes, in one of Harper’s hissy fits over US President Obama’s refusal to approve the Keystone XL, he indicated that Canada would build a pipeline to the Pacific coast — the Enbridge Pipeline — to ship the toxic soup to China. And all sorts of groups from First Nations to environmentalists are opposing this.
Harper has backed Canada out of the Kyoto Accords which was legally binding and has yet to provide a framework for environmental sustainability. In short, Harper is long on gibberish, and extremely short on concrete action for environmental sustainability.
Two other aspects that annoy me are the perceived American jobs and the attitude that, if it is going ahead anyway, then we (US) might as well benefit from Canada’s emissions produced from mining the tar sands. It has been shown that the American permanent jobs are 60 – 120. When you consider that the tar sands oil is not going to American refineries to be turned into gasoline for American cars, but is instead going to be shipped overseas to be converted to diesel fuel which has a more profitable market price, American jobs is a lost leader. Even the Republican/Teabagger leadership can’t agree on job numbers, let alone accurate numbers. Boehner said some time ago 120,000 American jobs, while I believe it was McConnell who said ten’s of thousands. Both of those are a long way from 60 – 120 permanent American jobs. As to the second point, that is just the height of arrogance! Where is concern for this planet we all inhabit?
Does Harper and his harlots need to be removed from office? Absolutely yes! Unfortunately that is not likely to happen until 2015! I remember reading a while back that a Canadian citizen had written the Queen asking that she “fire” Harper and his harlots. The reply was that the citizen needed to take up the matter with the Governor General. With only a 39.6% popular vote, but a majority seat government, it will take a substantial grassroots effort to convice the GG that Harper needs to go, sooner rather than later.
“either 400 or 4,000 pages (I can’t remember which but probably the latter)”
It’s 400 pages long.
Thanks. I couldn’t find the reference again to check it.
The US is notorious for loading up “must pass” bills with provisions that cpould never pass on their own merit. Amen to the rest and thanks for the insight!
I just heard on the radio that the Conservative government still refuses to break up the bill at all, let alone the requested 5 bills. Harper, who is in the UK for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, wants the bill passed next week and MPs are being pushed into very long sessions. I believe it was Thomas Mulcaire, the new leader of the national New Democrat Party, who commented that it is still possible to defeat the government over this omnibus bill. Apparently, one of Harper’s cabinet ministers has misgivings about everything in the bill and stated that others do too. It wouldn’t surprise me if those disaffected Conservatives lose their positions and are relegated to the backbenches.
We have nothing like that here. LIEberschmuck and Benedict Nelson kept their committee roles.
TC , You and Lynn have said it all– wonderful
Thank you!
Canada is sch a beautiful land that it brings tears to my eyes just to see them re-write their environmental laws to the detriment of the land. Get that asshole outta there!
I fully agree, Lisa!
The Canadians got a little too friendly with the Bushies and adopted their attitude toward the environment. It is so sad because they had always led in keeping our continent clean. They used to be true stewards of the earth.
Patty, I think that Canada’s conservative Party studied under Bush and earned a PhD in Bullshitology.