I must express my outrage at the comments made by MPs Richard Harris and Bob Zimmer in the Citizen for misrepresenting the recently-passed budget bill and cheaply portraying opponents of the bill as being mere partisan stooges.
Zimmer's comments that the omnibus bill only expedites, not weakens, environmental protections is petty spin-doctoring. The fact of the matter is that the legislation substantially reduces protection for fish habitat and allows energy projects to be exempt from endangered species protections and the Navigatiable Waters Act.
As for being a partisan, I accept that this may be the case. I am a partisan of the side that believes that we have a moral duty to leave a livable world for those who come after us. I am a partisan of bequeathing a livable world so that our children will have planet on which to enjoy the prosperity that Mr Harris is, in a misguided way, trying to create.
Climate change, water supplies and other environmental issues illustrate that sacrificing the environment for the economy is not only immoral, but a false dichotomy as the later requires the former. This simple fact has not been recognized by the Tories.
The Conservative government seems hell-bent on ignoring anything, including the need to act on catastrophic climate change, that gets in the way of oil companies' obscene profits.
Canadians deserve a government that will ensure a prosperous and sustainable future, not act as liquidation agents selling off the country and the planet's future to Chinese oil companies.
Thomas Cheney
Prince George
