Great News – Canada’s Climate Accountability Act Moves Forward

Canada’s Climate Accountability Act, Bill C311, received support from all 3 Opposition Parties in the House of Commons yesterday, and passed with a vote of 155 to 137 (the Harper Conservatives, who currently form the government, voted against).  Here’s what several groups who have been working hard to get the bill passed had to say:

From Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy Campaigner for the Council of Canadians:

Good news! I’m at Parliament Hill and have just finished watching a House of Commons debate, the Liberals have voted in support of moving the Climate Change Accountability Act to the Third and final reading. 155 voted for, 137 against.

Thanks to everyone who responded to our action alert by emailing and called their MPs – you made a difference!
We’re not out of the woods yet. Let’s continue the pressure and ensure that MPs support the Climate Change Accountability Act for the Third and final reading!

The Council of Canadians will be issuing an updated Climate Change Accountability Act action alert tomorrow, keep an eye out for it in our Activlist daily digest.

Climate Action Network Canada posted this on their Facebook page:

IT’S OFFICIAL! The vote on moving the Climate Change Accountability Act to third reading was won today (155 to 137). All signs are good for the third reading (and final vote) in parliament in the coming weeks. More to come… Congratulations to the thousands of folks across the country who helped make move the bill forward!

They also posted this timely reminder (remember, all of us, including Members of Parliament, like to be appreciated from time to time):

Did your MP Vote in Favor in Bill C-311? Send them a quick thank you note and let them know we want to see this translated into action!

Dear [Member of Parliament],

Thank you very much for your vote in favour of Bill C-311, the Climate
Change Accountability Act. With your continued support Bill C-311 will pass third reading within the coming months. This Bill as well as the Liberal motion tabled yesterday are both steps in the right direction. We hope that both of these important items manifest themselves in meaningful Canadian climate policy.

Thank you.

Click here for the parliamentary info site – click on “Concurrence Motion – Report Stage” and then scroll down to the bottom to see the list of who voted for Bill C311 (“yeas”) and who voted against it (“nays”).

Bruce Hyer, the NDP M.P. from Thunder Bay/Superior North who tabled Bill C311 said this:

[I] would like to thank the thousands of Canadians from all walks of life who wrote, called, and emailed their support for the country’s only climate change legislation, Bill C-311. Because of your efforts, the opposition united behind it and it passed a crucial vote last night 155 to 137 in the House!

Stay tuned for more updates as the bill makes its way through one more vote in the House of Commons in the next few weeks, and then on to the Senate (now dominated by Conservatives). Let’s celebrate this victory, though, because it definitely wasn’t a sure thing a few weeks ago. It goes to show what can happen when Canadians speak up to their elected officials and tell them that climate change needs to be addressed now!