A winning environment

CanWest reports on what appear to be great news from the committee reviewing Bill C-30 today, as the opposition parties have teamed up to add some serious teeth to the Cons' once-laughable environmental legislation:

The Conservative government found itself isolated Tuesday as the three opposition parties teamed up to force through major changes to its environmental plan.

At a special committee reviewing the Conservatives' proposed clean air legislation, Liberal, Bloc Quebecois and New Democrat MPs voted to add in mid- and long-term targets as well as Canada's Kyoto protocol commitments to reduce the pollution that causes global warming.

The changes could also force the government to accept several elements of the Liberal party's new climate change policy, including new penalties for major industrial polluters who don’t cap their emissions, and the creation of a new "green investment bank."

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the bill will go any further in Parliament, or whether the Cons will decide to try to pretend their flagship environmental legislation doesn't exist now that the opposition parties have had a chance to strengthen it. But if they do choose the obstructionist path, then the once-shared responsibility for a lack of action will fall squarely on the shoulders of a government which surely doesn't want to be painted as the lone holdout.

Once again, full credit goes to all of the opposition parties for finally working together to achieve a positive result. And hopefully the Cons will recognize that both they and the country stand to benefit if the bill is allowed to keep proceeding through Parliament.