Elizabeth MayMP for Saanich and Gulf Islands
Elizabeth May
The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government Distinguished Speakers Series Presents
“The Planet Is on Fire: Can the Canadian Federation Respond or Do Our Provincial-Federal Squabbles Threaten Our Future?”
Elizabeth May, OC, MP
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
7:00 pm–9:00 pm
Mulroney Hall 2070
Canada has the worst climate record in the G7. Our climate record is not just a bit worse than other industrialized countries. Our record is a lot worse. There are many explanations that receive media attention: the number and influence of fossil fuel lobbyists, the benefits to our economy of oil and gas, and the fractious political landscape at the federal level. Little examined is the structure of our federation. In this talk, Ms. May will compare and contrast how the European Union with its 28 separate and sovereign nation-states (29 before Brexit), speaking 24 official languages, have consistently been better able to act collectively address the climate threat than the 14 governments of the federal-provincial and territorial federation called Canada. With a nod to the prime minister whose legacy in many ways is this the Mulroney Institute, Ms. May will review the tools used by the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney in confronting acid rain and the threat to the ozone layer. And ask why those tools are rusting out behind the shed.
Please join us in person or via Zoom.