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Action on Climate Change will at last have a Canadian political advocate

Elisabeth May will help ensure that climate change and clean energy issues are a prominent part of the national conversation over the next four years

Canada’s Green party looks to bright future following Elizabeth May victory, Guardian UK 4 May 11,  The environment may finally play a part in Canada’s political debate now the Green party has its first seat • Canada elects its first Green MP

Green party leader Elizabeth May added to Canada‘s psephological earthquake on Monday night by winning her party’s first seat in British Columbia, just as Canada swept Stephen Harper’s government to its first majority.

May’s party took the west coast Saanich and Gulf Islands seat from sport minister, Gary Lunn, by more than 7,000 votes.

Significantly, Lunn’s department presides over Canada’s development of Alberta’s tar sands, its mineral resources including Saskatchewan’s uranium, (which makes Canada the world’s leading exporter for the world’s nuclear industry,) and its huge water resources that make provinces such as Quebec and British Columbia major producers of hydro-electricity.

Now May will present the voice for the environment, in contrast to other parties who have played political lip service to environmental issues ever since the Liberal party ratified the Kyoto protocol in late 2003.

…… May will help ensure that climate change and clean energy issues are a prominent part of the national conversation over the next four years, Clare Demerse of environmental think tank the Pembina Institute told the Guardian.

“Along with other opposition MPs, provincial governments, not to mention Canadians, she will now be able to put pressure on Stephen Harper’s government for stronger environmental policies,” Demerse added.

“It’s not easy to get a seat as a Green MP in a first-past-the-post system like ours, so I think Elizabeth May’s win in BC demonstrates that Canadians clearly see environmental protection as a priority,” Demerse concluded.

To put this into perspective, Stephen Harper’s Tories failed to even discuss the environment. Climate change warranted a brief mention during the televised debates…..http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/may/03/canada-green-elizabeth-may-victory

May 5, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, politics