Ottawa

‘Without ever bringing a plan to Parliament’

Seven years ago, the Liberal government of the day tabled a budget implementation act that included legislation related to the Kyoto Protocol. As Elizabeth May noted earlier this week, the leader of the opposition at the time was unimpressed.

I also want to raise questions about the budget implementation act that was tabled today. We have several concerns on this, most notably the amendments that would give the government unlimited power to implement Kyoto without ever bringing a plan to Parliament. This is a back door manoeuvre to give the government a blank cheque. It is a dangerous way of proceeding. It will certainly not have the support of this party. If the government has a Kyoto plan, why does it refuse to present it to Canadians?

This complaint seems similar in substance to concerns now being raised about EI provisions that the Conservative government has included in its latest budget implementation. Which is ironic because the leader of the opposition in 2005 is now the leader of the government.

In the case of the 2005 budget bill, the Liberals, under threat of defeat, eventually withdrew the Kyoto provisions.

As noted here previously, the Young Stephen Harper opposed omnibus legislation on principle.

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