Don’t Kill the Bill – Save the Climate Accountability Act via “Its Getting Hot In Here” , Dispatches From The Youth Climate Movement:
Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act is the closest thing to effective climate legislation in Canada, and it needs to move to the third reading before it can be law (i.e. legally binding emission reduction targets). A surprise motion in the House of Commons has made April 14th a crucial date for the bill, and on Wednesday there will be a vote as to whether or not it should move to the Third and final reading.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Canadian politics, here are some of the basics:
- There are five parties in government (listed in order of decreasing number of seats in the House of Commons):
- The Conservative Party (Stephen Harper is the leader)
- The Liberal Party (Michael Ignatieff is the leader)
- The Bloc Quebecois (Gilles Duceppe)
- The New Democratic Party (Jack Layton is the leader)
- The Conservative party has typically voted unanimously AGAINST the Climate Change Accountability Act
- The NDP, Bloc, and Greens have typically voted unanimously FOR the Climate Change Accountability Act
- The Liberals have wavering support (it depends on who is being paid off by the oil companies…my bias)
So what are we gonna do? Target those swinging Liberals!
Folks are calling their Liberal MPs (and Liberal MPs who are not their MPs) and telling them that they need to go to parliament on the 14th and vote to move Bill C-311 to its third reading. The bill would commit Canada to legally-binding emission reduction targets: 25% below 1990 levels by the year 2020 (which is the lower end of the range that the IPCC is asking for), and long term targets of 80% below 1990 levels by the year 2050.
With the G8 and G20 meetings happening in Toronto this June 25-27th, all eyes are going to be on Canada. The government already embarrassed us in Copenhagen, and we cannot let them do it on our own turf. Don’t Kill Bill.
If you would like to send a letter to all party leaders, visit The Council of Canadians’ Action Alert
For a list of Liberal MPs (and other party MPs) who voted for and against the bill, visit THIS MAGICAL SITE!
For more info, visit http://ourclimate.ca ou visitez http://notreclimate.ca
For information about what community and citizen groups are doing during the G8/G20 visit:
Toronto Community Mobilization Network: http://g20.torontomobilize.org/
People’s Summit: http://peoplessummite2010.ca
G20 Youth Climate Convergence: cycc.convergence@gmail.com