Green News and Views January 29, 2007 - Issue 3

Comment:
It is probably one of the most astute observations I have seen come out of the hyperbole around climate change, the Clean Air Act, and suddenly call to arms on the environment by either the Liberals, NDP, or Conservatives.

Bob Mills, chair of the House of Commons environmental committee, told CTV's Question Period on Sunday said, "We don't really have to set up a lot of new groups."

What we do not need is another organization chasing the same dollars, chasing after the same goal, and ending up being toothless and useless because it was all for show.

What we need is a very agressive and assertive policing agency that will enforce the letter of the environment law, even the ones we have now, and those that will be brought in.

What we need is a group to make sure the laws that are brought in both in Canada and elsewhere are meaningfull and will address the root of the problem and not just the edges of it to make it look good.

We also need to keep in mind that the environment is not the only thing that our government has going on right now.

We have a free trade pact being negotiated with Pakistan, a leading contributor of terrorists in Afghanistan, as well as South Korea, a continental union plan, a need for the country's infrastructure to be fixed, as well as health care and education. There is the issue of how best to carve up the country into 10 little fiefdoms through the devolution of powers from the federal government to the provinces.

The inertia being caused by current hot button political issue of the environment, on all other important issues before the House of Commons is causing a severe case of myopia in the land.

Canada needs a political party that can walk and chew gum at the sametime.