Canada holding up climate-change deal at Commonwealth

[Robbien]

Source: Canadian Press

KAMPALA, Uganda - Canada is one of only two countries blocking a commitment to international climate-change targets within the 52-member Commonwealth, frustrated foreign diplomats said Friday. A deal among Commonwealth members is seen as a major step toward reaching a global climate treaty next month at long-anticipated negotiations in Indonesia.

One Commonwealth official ridiculed Canada's position - namely, that it will agree to a resolution endorsing targets only if it's amended to include developing countries.

. . .

He coyly noted that the only other holdout - the Australian government of John Howard - appears set to lose an election in which climate change was a key theme, meaning Canada could be left alone.

. . .

The Opposition Liberals poured scorn on Harper's approach. "He's not a leader anywhere. What he's doing is looking for an excuse to drag his feet," said Liberal MP John Godfrey.

With Harper's friend John Howard facing defeat in Australia, Canada is "in the very reduced company of (U.S. President) George Bush's Republicans," he said.

Read more: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jjAEhSzbZc2JeXJ6SIaMuZnASA1Q

[AlertLurker]

1. Stephen Harper is not a Leader

The CPC make me so very ashamed to be Canadian...

[dysfunctional press]

2. two words: oil sands.

very dirty stuff to extract & process.
and canada has a lot of future hopes pinned on theirs.

[applegrove]

3. Harper does not represent Canadians.

[hooraydems06]

4. Harper should watch it...

... he is in charge of the most tenuous, weakest minority government in half a century with only 125 out of 308 members of parliament. He has only lasted longer than the previous Liberal run minority government because they have failed to fill the vaccuum in Liberal leadership after the depature of Paul Martin. Should the Liberals get rid of Stephane Dion and get a stronger leader, the opposition may decide to bring the minority government down, and see the end of their first taste of being in charge of Canada after being in the opposition for 13 straight years.

He would do well to be more conciliatory, especially if, as expected Rudd's Labor wins in Oz after tomorrow's elections.

[applegrove]

5. I think Dion is keeping his powder dry. I still have hope for him.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. And Howard's gone now, too

So Harper is the sole roadblock left.

[Harper_is_Bush]

10. In spite of a lot of populist crap (rah rah for the military and anti-crime) Harper can't crack...

...over 40% support for any significant time, which is where a government needs to be to have any hope of a parliamentary majority.
It bodes well for the hope that Canadians will get fed up with his antics on global warming (and now the death penalty) and get rid of his rightwing ass.

[Selatius]

7. Why did Canada elect Steven Harper to begin with?

They should kick his ass out of office like Howard in Australia. He has a boot print on his ass now.

[EvilAL]

8. Because

we were pissed off at the liberals I guess. Scandals and shit. I didn't fuckin vote for him.

As for Howard's boot.

Mr. Simpson shoosh. Disparaging the boot is a bootable offense. It's one of their proudest traditions.

[Harper_is_Bush]

9. Essentially, the media fell right in line behind him. It was a pathetic Liberal-bash Harper-love

in our media last election.

And one of the first things he did after becomming PM was to shut out the media. His regime is boxed up tight, and only the information he wants out gets out. Members of his Parliament have been instructed not to even so much as send a letter to the editor without vetting it through his office.

Our society and culture in the last two years has become very focussed on crime and the military. It sucks.