- Among the other possible tests in an impending Etobicoke Centre by-election, here's one I'll be curious to watch: will attention to the Robocon scandal turn the Cons' usual misleading robocall blast strategy into a liability rather than a low-cost means of injecting messages into voters' minds?
- Dr. Dawg points out that the Cons' absurd attacks on Erin Weir (and anybody else who may ever have been involved in politics) is probably better classified as farce and ultra-hypocrisy than a serious threat. But he misses what strikes me as an even more obvious example of the sheer idiocy of Randy Hoback's position: if running for a political party makes one unfit to comment on public policy issues, then wouldn't every single government minister who testifies be subject to exactly the same challenge?
- The Cons' latest "nothing to see here" moment on the environmental front features the U.S.' EPA potentially taking over pollution monitoring in Canada. But hey, what could go wrong if we let, say, a future Sarah Palin administration decide what (if anything) it wants to regulate?
- Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail has suddenly realized that the Cons' utter negligence when it comes to the environment might lead to disaster. If only it had arrived at that conclusion a little over a year ago.
- And finally, Linda McQuaig describes the Cons' efforts to turn environmentally-interested citizens into enemies of the state:
(C)reating a chill among environmental activists seems to be precisely the aim of the Harper team, as it gears up for a new stage in its battle to sideline anyone raising questions about the relentless growth of Alberta’s oilsands.
And the involvement of Eaton somehow highlights the David and Goliath nature of the climate change fight, as the Harper government lines up with wealthy interests in a battle that particularly imperils some of world’s poorest people who live in low-lying regions soon to be engulfed by rising seas.
It seems unnecessary to point out that the proper role of government is to protect the public interest, which includes not only encouraging economic development but also protecting us against the devastating consequences of climate change.
But, with his close ties to the oil industry, Harper has long sought to derail global climate action.
Now, with a majority government, Harper’s campaign to scuttle action on climate change has taken a more insidious turn, as he uses the resources of the state to intimidate and silence critics.
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