LIBERALS PLAYING POLITICS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

From: "Alexa McDonough, MP" <alexa@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: "Sust-Mar" <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2002 13:06:49 -0300
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         			SEPTEMBER
24, 2002

LIBERALS PLAYING POLITICS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

OTTAWA-Federal NDP leader Alexa McDonough is accusing the Liberal government
of putting politics ahead of policy when it comes to an implementation plan
for the Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"The Liberals have been playing a wait-and-see game with the public opinion
polls rather than moving forward with a plan to protect the health of our
environment and our economy," says McDonough. "It's been more than four
years since Canada signed the Kyoto protocol and there is still no plan that
fairly shares the costs and benefits of ratification."

NDP Environment Critic Joe Comartin insists that the Kyoto implementation
plan must reflect the environmental impact and technological capabilities of
the Canadian economy.

"The evidence is clear that Canada can comply with the Kyoto Protocol and
simultaneously develop the technological expertise that will be in demand
around the world,"said Comartin.

The New Democratic Party has been advocating numerous means through which
public policy can move our economy back to a position of global leadership
in environmental stewardship.  Among its proposals, the NDP is calling for
the legislated creation of a market for ethanol and biomass fuels and for
the mandatory conversion of coal fired energy plants through the enforcement
of clean air standards.

The NDP is also advocating the creation of a national alternative energy
strategy based on proven capabilities in wind, solar and tidal energy
production.

In partnership with the provinces and municipalities the NDP is calling on
the federal government to support transportation, waste diversion and
municipal infrastructure projects that promote energy efficiency and the use
of non-fossil fuels.

Dating back to the 2000 general election the NDP has been promoting "Green
Taxation Reforms".  Such a program would stimulate green investment in the
private sector through tax reductions on sustainable business practices.  At
a minimum the federal government must also provide loan guarantees for
building retrofits and tax credits for that encourage the development of new
environmentally sound practices.

McDonough also criticized the Liberal government for continuing to propagate
the myth of clean energy exports as environmentally sustainable.  "The point
of Kyoto is to improve global environmental conditions.  By trying to win
credits for clean fuel exports, which would in turn permit greater domestic
production of greenhouse gases, the Liberals are trying to do an end run
around global environmental leadership," said McDonough.

Further New Democratic Party solutions to building a sustainable economy are
attached.


-30-

For more information, please contact:  Karl Belanger: (613) 720-6463

---------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA BACKGROUNDER
NDP Policy on Building Sustainable Economy

*	Mandate for Alternative Fuels:  The federal NDP will work with our
governments in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to remove barriers on ethanol
exports and have called on the federal government to legislate a mandatory
blending of ethanol gasoline of at least 10 percent.  We will also encourage
the production of bio-diesel.

*	Renewed Emphasis on Urban Transit:  The federal government should be
taking a lead to support the upkeep and expansion of multi-modal, integrated
transportation systems.  This could be done with the provinces and
municipalities through a dedicated transit infrastructure fund.  The NDP has
also backed the call to make the provision of public transit passes to
employees a tax deduction for employers.

*	Sustainable Economics: In the 1st Session of the 37th Parliament the
House Finance Committee agreed to NDP MP Lorne Nystrom's proposal to hold
hearings on the environment and the economy.  The NDP is encouraging the
growing trend in many sectors of the economy, towards promoting sustainable
environmentally sound business practices.

*	Federal Government "Greenscreen": The NDP has repeatedly called for
the federal government to make environmental objectives and performance a
part of the budget making process.  Yet the 2001 budget speech made no
mention of the government incorporating an environmental "greenscreen" in
its policy and budget making process.  Clearly, more work needs to be done
to convince the government of the practical and critical utility of this.

*	Green Taxation Reforms need to be introduced to change existing tax
laws and subsidies that artificially lower the true costs of fossil fuels
and nuclear energy. Incentives that sustain and encourage non-renewable
energy must be redirected towards renewable energy sources.

*	A Clean Air Fund to help local communities create jobs in projects
that help to tackle climate change, including reforestation and alternative
clean energy projects that seek to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

*	A National Transportation Strategy to expand and encourage public
transit, improve commuter rail service in and around major urban centres,
and improve public highways. Government must also encourage the conversion
of shipping from trucks to trains.

*	A Green Jobs Fund to provide balanced loan security for the cost of
retrofitting residential, commercial and industrial buildings to higher
energy efficiency standards.

*	A research incentive program to help encourage dynamic environmental
industries and the development of new green technologies across all sectors
of the Canadian economy.

*	Aggressive Public Relations: The federal government has to be
willing to take on the economic scaremongers.  Alberta's version of "The Sky
is Falling" began with a claim that ratifying Kyoto would cost the Canadian
economy $40-billion.  Unfortunately for the Klein/Oil Patch partisans, the
Alberta-based Pembina Research Institute reports that the combined effects
of environmental efficiencies and economic opportunities in new technologies
will make Kyoto ratification revenue-neutral for our economy.



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