Hill Times: The Liberals’ climate plan? A chocolate cake diet

Elizabeth May June 7, 2017 Originally published in the Hill Times, here. Let’s get the obvious out of the way: the Trudeau administration is better than the Conservatives under Stephen Harper on environmental policy. But that does not mean they get a free ride, especially when our children’s future is at stake. The climate promises ...

Update on Electoral Reform – Disappointment in Parliament

Dear Friends and Supporters of Electoral Reform, A disappointment in Parliament on Wednesday, when the Liberals used their majority to defeat a motion to accept recommendations from the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. It was a slim majority in a vote of 159-146, with two courageous Liberal MPs Nathaniel Eskine-Smith and Sean Casey voting with integrity ...

Policy Magazine: A Green Balance of Power in BC

Elizabeth May May 15, 2017 At a moment in politics when it seems positive firsts are few and far between, the news that the BC Green Party — the BC cousin of the federal Greens — will be forming its first-ever caucus in North America and in my home province was a rare blast of ...

Update on Electoral Reform

For the first time in Canadian history, a Parliamentary committee recommended that the government take concrete steps to move away from the archaic First Past the Post voting system and toward a proportional system of electing Members of Parliament and the Government The report, an unprecedented document that compiles the best public and academic evidence ...

COP21 Final Blog – Day 13

The morning after 13 days- 3 all nighters… And the Paris Agreement is accepted. The COP21 decision is agreed. What does it all mean? I have been working on climate for the last 29 years. In that time I have seen lip service from most politicians, courage from a few politicians, venality from some corporations ...

COP21 Day 12

Yesterday, December 11th, was a day of suspended animation. So forgive me for not writing my daily blog yesterday. To make up for it, you’ll likely get two today. At 5:30 AM Friday the all-night “Indaba for solutions” adjourned with news from Laurent Fabius, COP21 President, that a new text would be released on Saturday. ...

COP21 Day 10

After 5 hours of commentary, complaint and suggested possibilities for compromise, the informal round of talks called an “indaba” broke up at 5 am. If President Fabius (who personally chaired this session) thought we had made progress, it was not evident. We are circling the drain. Not just those of us in Le Bourget, but ...

COP21 Day 8 – Negotiations move behind closed doors

Monday December 7 was the official opening of the high-level segment. In the normal rhythm of the COPs, this would have been a big day with ministers of environment from around the world, and the occasional head of government making statements. But, as mentioned in other blogs, this time, with over 150 leaders having spoken ...

COP21 moves to new phase

Sunday and COP21 moved to the working groups to review cross-cutting issues.  There were four groups announced by COP President Fabius last night, with another announced today – adaptation.  We also learned that Canadian Minister Catherine McKenna has been asked to be co-facilitator for a group as well.  This is further evidence that Canada is ...

COP21 Blog at mid-point

I am amazed. The deadline of having ADP wrap by noon Saturday and send a draft text accepted as a sufficient basis for political negotiation was met. The draft text with the addition of “reflections” from the co-chairs (a neat process to take on board and submit the complaints, additions and pleadings that failed to ...