Environment Minister Rona Ambrose came under fire on the world stage yesterday, but the attacks in Kenya were decidedly homegrown, with Canadian opposition MPs, Quebec's Environment Minister and environmentalists calling her positions "idiotic" and "ridiculous."...Well A:) yes of course it does, that's the point, and B:) it's not Canada's position they're undermining, it's the Conservative Party's. There's a big difference between the position of the Canadian people - 7 out of 10 remember, who voted center left to socialist in the last election - and the Conservative Minority government and their made in Calgary's oil company boardrooms non-plan for the environment. Hence, one of many reasons for the comatose Tory poll numbers.
Liberal MP John Godfrey and Bloc Québécois MP Bernard Bigras openly mocked the minister, laughing out loud as they quoted her recent defence of the government's policies. Claude Béchard, Quebec's Environment Minister, was not as critical of Ms. Ambrose as the others were, but said he wants the minister to reverse herself this week and commit to the Kyoto Protocol.The news conference brought an angry response from Ms. Ambrose's spokesman, Bob Klager. He called the actions of the Canadian politicians "highly inappropriate," especially because they held the event before Ms. Ambrose even landed in Nairobi.
"The minister invited them to come over here, so the fact that they're going out and doing that is only going to undermine Canada's position here," he said. "It's not helpful at all."
And frankly, if you say something as mind-numbingly, gob-smackingly stupid as 'We're meeting all of our commitments except the targets' you deserve a public pantsing.
6 comments:
She actually looked really upset on TV when they showed this interview and one has to wonder if Rona is starting to crack under the pressure of being pelted day in and day out about her irresponsible environmental program.
She should look visibly upset. Her smirking interviews in "safe" venues of late will not and can not hold her up in the real world. Shame on Harper for letting this neophyte twist in the wind, giving her only his platitudes to mouth. Harper can't even stand up for his own MPs let alone Canada.
Where is that slick bugger now? Heading off to China, after he let his minions Lunn and Campbell grease the wheels before his arrival.
If Ambrose has any guts at all, or a care about the world environment, she'll get back from Africa and haul Harper onto the carpet so bad he'll have carpet burn to remember well past the next election.
Attacks on Rona Ambrose are clearly politically motivated. John Godfrey's presence at this conference is completely inappropriate. The Liberals have absolutely NO credibility on the issue. They have simply recognized that it is an issue with which they can whip up anti-Conservative sentiment. If any of these people really cared about the environment they would be making very specific recommendations about how to improve the Clean Air Act. Basically -- the Liberals won't be doing this because they have no alternative ideas. (Maybe bring Rick Mercer back!)The environmental plans posted by the current leadership candidates are pretty much the same as the current plan put forward by the Tories. (Previous Liberal plan was also quite similar.) That's because much of what's in the plan has been pulled together largely with advice from the same bureaucrats who were in place under the Liberals.
Thanks for the comment - in future I need a name. No anonymous comments here please.
Linda, of course they are politically motivated, and of course the Liberals have barely more credibility on the issue of the environment than the Tories - don't expect me to defend the Liberals pathetic hot air on the issue of global warming.
The Tory non-plan is still a disgrace and an embarresment to Canada. Rona's 'all of our commitments except the targets' line still deserves mockery and the world still needs to know that the Tories do not represent Canadians on this issue.
The Conservatives are doing a good enough job whipping up anti-Conservative sentiment on their own, they barely need any help.
Thank you Cliff for letting one comment from me go by Anonymous. I am not a blogger, but I gave you my email addy just so you know I am a real person :) Hope that makes the grade. Also, I hope I won't be getting a lot of pron spam, add more inches, or lose weight email :)
Linda; you, like Ambrose, keep repeating Harper's talking points. But, this time you flubbed and said that the Liberal (no) plan was similar to the Clean Air Act: to quote Linda,
"(Previous Liberal plan was also quite similar.) That's because much of what's in the plan has been pulled together largely with advice from the same bureaucrats who were in place under the Liberals."
Get your "no plan" diatribes and talking points straight if you are going to attempt to defend Harper. That man will not allow mistakes and missteps. You are talking the talk, or you are walking away with a big bootprint on your ass.
The Opposition parties threw poor Ambrose a sop by allowing the Clean Air Act to get to committee. They could have laughed it out of the Commons (deservedly so) and there would be nothing Harper could do about it. Perhaps some people think that Ambrose maybe has some sort of plan, if only she could get the Boss to think beyond the next election.
Personally, I think Harper chose Ambrose for this role thinking it would be a no-brainer and he could leave a woman in charge and if she flubbed it, it wouldn't rub off. That's just my take on Harper and his "little women" attitude.
It wouldn't be the first time a King's desires were laid waste by a Princess and a pea.
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