Clearing the air

The NDP unveils its environmental platform, and there's an awful lot to like:

The NDP Leader unveiled pieces of his party's environmental platform today, which include:

A new "Clean Air Act" -- legislation aimed at fulfilling Canada's responsibilities to reduce air pollution under the Kyoto Accord.

A new "Clean Water Act" -- to establish national standards and protection for drinking water, including standards for solid waste disposal, mine site operations and rehabilitation, forestry and farming practices, and pesticide use.

A new "Polluter Pay and Toxic Pollution Reduction" -- aimed to overhaul Canada's national pollution law, replacing what the NDP calls the "the current emphasis on voluntary action with mandatory pollution prevention measures."

And best of all, Layton made clear that the environmental benefits can be attached to economic ones:

When asked to elaborate on the expenses attached to his plan to cut Canada's emissions by a quarter, Layton said his plan wouldn't necessarily involve great costs.

"Quite a few of the initiatives can be very profitable for Canadian companies and individuals," Layton told reporters following his announcement.

So how does the NDP's sensible, forward-looking environmental plan compare to that of the incumbents? Glad you asked:

Liberal Leader Paul Martin, meanwhile, is promising to devote more money to clean up Saint John harbour -- a project that has been in discussion for at least 15 years.

In Saint John, N.B. on Tuesday, where he announced details of the Liberal day-care plan, Martin said Ottawa has already allocated $44 million towards the Saint John harbour cleanup. He said he was "dumbfounded" to learn there still isn't a deal in place to start the cleanup.

I'm quite curious as to who Martin will find to blame...both for the fact that he's still trying to re-make promises that predate even Chretien's election, and for the fact that he hasn't even bothered to keep track of the complete lack of progress under his watch. In any event, today's events neatly highlight the contrast between a party dedicated to preserving the environment, and one committed only to preserving its own hide.