Harper Jabbed Over 2002 Quote: Kyoto "Socialist Scheme To Suck Money From Wealth-Producing Nations"

[hatrack]

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Opposition legislators attacked Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday after it emerged that he had once described the Kyoto global warming protocol as "a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations".

Harper, who says Canada cannot meet its Kyoto commitments to cut emissions of greenhouse gases, made the comments in a 2002 fund-raising letter when he was in opposition. He now heads the minority Conservative government and is under great pressure to show he is serious about tackling climate change.

A real leader would say that he was wrong and say 'I agree that it was wrong and I have changed my mind'," said Stephane Dion, leader of the opposition Liberals. "But the problem is he did not change his mind. He is still a climate change denier," Dion told Parliament.

Harper did not directly respond to the question of whether he was misleading Canadians about his views on Kyoto -- a suggestion which was put to him many times by Liberal legislators. "This government is acting. This government accepts ... the science of climate change," he said.

EDIT

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2007-01-31T221447Z_01_N30344697_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENVIRONMENT.xml

[Javaman]

1. Harper + Tar Sands = mega bucks.

As long as he keeps his trap indirectly shut over climage change, the money will keep filling his pockets.