Canada government risks lawsuit over Kyoto - Dion
Source: Reuters
By David Ljunggren OTTAWA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Canada's government could be sued if it refuses to obey a measure obliging it to produce a plan on how to meet emissions cuts set out by the Kyoto protocol, a top opposition leader said on Thursday. The House of Commons adopted the bill on Wednesday in the latest clash over green issues between opposition legislators and the minority Conservative government, which says Canada cannot meet its Kyoto targets. The environment -- a topic the opposition sees as the Conservatives' weak spot -- is set to be a key issue in the next federal election, which some political observers and insiders say could be called in the next few months. The Kyoto bill must now go the Senate, Parliament's upper house, for approval before formally coming into force. The Senate is dominated by members of the opposition Liberal party and officials said the law could be adopted in April or May. The Conservatives of Prime Minister Stephen Harper describe the bill as "a toothless tiger" because it does not provide any money to implement the cuts called for by Kyoto. The law would give the Conservatives 60 days to come up with a plan to meet the cuts laid out by Kyoto -- reductions that Harper says would paralyze the Canadian economy. Canada is the largest exporter of energy to the United States. "Parliament has the power to legislate and the government must implement the legislation," said Liberal leader Stephane Dion told CTV television. Asked whether the government would be breaking the law if it ignored the act, he said: "(Then) they are breaking the law with consequences facing (them) in the courts." Legal experts say individuals, activist groups or legislators could sue the government if it did not implement the law. Harper visited an Ottawa high school on Thursday but did not take questions from reporters. Kyoto obliges Canada to cut emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. Emissions are currently 27 percent above 1990 levels. Critics accuse Harper of hypocrisy, noting that when in opposition he stressed the importance of Parliament but now apparently plans to ignore a measure approved by legislators. Environment Minister John Baird called the bill "somewhat of a joke" when talking to reporters on Wednesday. "This is almost like someone coming forward and saying you have a huge chocolate cake and it's got no calories. It's ridiculous. It's unbelievable. It's quite frankly -- it's a disservice I think to the environment," he said. The environment is also a challenging issue for the Liberals because they were in power from 1993 to early 2006 -- a period when emissions surged. The party's record on green issues is under attack both from the Conservatives and the left-leaning New Democrats, who are eager to pick off soft Liberal votes in the next election. "We need action (on Kyoto) immediately ... Canadians are fed up with the delay," New Democrat legislator Nathan Cullen told CBC television on Thursday.
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