On selective funding

Most of the focus on this story has been based on the exclusion of opposition parties from global climate talks. But the bigger scandal should be who the Cons are willing to fund to attend:

Canada's delegation will include members of the governing Conservative Party, as well as business leaders and other experts.

Taxpayers will still pick up the tab for the official delegation, but Mr. Kent said the group will be smaller than in past years.

The Evironment Minister added that he does not see any value in bringing along his political rivals.

So while the Cons are gleefully shutting out elected MPs from a global discussion of climate change, they're entirely willing to fund the corporate sector - surely the last group which needs to lobby on the public dime - in presenting a united front against any meaningful action. Which signals that the Cons' interest isn't in efficiency so much as exerting as much negative impact as possible - and that we have every right to ask why on earth business leaders should be pretending to represent Canada's interests at our expense.