Friday, September 14, 2007
NDP to put climate change law back on agenda - Tuesday September 11, 2007
Cullen to re-table amended Clean Air Act as private Member’s bill
SMITHERS – NDP Environment critic Nathan Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley) served notice today that he will re-table the Clean Air and Climate Change Act – a bill that will die when Parliament is prorogued – as a private Member’s bill upon Parliament’s return in mid-October.
“After thirteen years of Liberal inaction and 18 months of delays by the Conservatives, working families have waited long enough for action on the environment. By proroguing Parliament, Harper’s Conservatives have tried to kill a comprehensive blueprint to get Canada on the right track in fighting climate change – we’ll make sure he’s unsuccessful.”
Cullen said he will submit his re-drafted legislation once the prime minister officially prorogues the House of Commons. He also called on the other opposition parties to support moving the former “Bill C-30” (Clean Air and Climate Change Act) to a priority position in the private Members’ order.
“This bill was the work of all parties in the House. Even Conservative MPs had a say,” said Cullen.
Key aspects of the bill that Cullen says must be made law immediately are:
- Short-, medium- and long-term greenhouse gas targets.
- An earlier deadline for regulating the industrial sector.
- A hard cap on greenhouse gas emissions from big polluters.
- Leading and mandatory standards for smog-producing “air contaminants”.
- Leading vehicle fuel efficiency standards.
- A cap and trade carbon market.
- Government authority to regulate air pollutants and greenhouse gases.
- Effective provincial equivalency rules.
- Authority to designate “significant areas” for environmental protection.
- Programs reviewed annually.
- Building retrofit fund.
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# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 11:53 PM 
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