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And so it begins

05 Oct 2022 | News Roundup

Pierre Poilievre isn’t even Prime Minister of Canada yet. But already the new federal Conservative leader is in trouble with the blue ticks because he hasn’t chugged the green Kool-aid. Even the National Post complained that “Nuclear technology, carbon capture and mining critical minerals are all components of Pierre Poilievre’s approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change, but it remains unclear when he will unveil a more fulsome climate plan of his own.” Evidently the paper is unaware that fulsome is not a term of praise but implies excessive, even sickening. But we hope that Poilievre, who generally does not respond meekly to reproaches from the smart set, will stand firm, not just against carbon taxes but against the whole flawed narrative from which they sprung. If so, he knows where to find the facts and arguments he’ll need to withstand the tempest of scorn he will face. If not, he will discover yet again the bitter truth, amply demonstrated by his two hapless predecessors on this very file, that you do not make friends of your enemies by making enemies of your friends.

The Post observed that “Poilievre did not present a climate plan during the leadership race and has not signalled his intention of doing so in the near future now that he is leader, but has repeatedly been saying that technology, not taxes, is the way to reduce emissions.” But only after quoting various partisan opponents berating him for not being orthodox on the subject, from a Liberal calling it “laughable” to claim the Tories have a plan to “fight the climate crisis” to a socialist saying Canadians “deserve to know” what he’ll do.

The latter is fair enough. And when Poilievre says things like “let’s start with supplying zero emission nuclear technology that can supply electricity to Canadians from coast to coast” or “Secondly, we can expand carbon capture and storage and (…) third, we should be mining lithium, cobalt, nickel and other minerals necessary for electrification — but do it right here in Canada, of course” it is fair to ask whether he’s doing climate breakdown lite or just blowing smoke. Especially when he wants to stop the scheduled carbon tax increase and even repeal the existing tax but then stop person-made climate change some other way to the applause of the me-too-Liberals in and around his party.

There is a temptation to rally round the white flag on climate as on many other issues, to concede the alarmist premise then hope to get by with applause lines that stop working once people decide you’re basically saying yes we’re in the middle of a disaster but ha ha see if I care. In Ontario the Progressive Conservative administration seems to be attempting this approach. But even considered as cynical rather than spineless it’s daffy, because it brings you the worst of all possible worlds in which the true believers regard you as a monster, the skeptics as a coward, and the uncommitted as confused.

Sooner rather than later this man of the worldly mind will have to say whether he believes in the “climate crisis” or not. If he does not, we hope he knows that he is right not to and that he figures out how to say so without tripping over the furniture and self-destructing like the World Bank President David Malpass did when he tried to say so without getting properly tutored on the subject first. To avoid such a fate he can find much at CDN with which to construct a place to stand. But we can’t furnish the courage. That he must locate for himself.

4 comments on “And so it begins”

  1. The sad thing about this demand that people have a climate plan is that we don't need no steenking climate plans! Destroying all the world's economies to address a made up problem is sheer insanity.

  2. Hopefully, unlike Truss or his Canadian predecessors, he knows that the inquisitors masquerading as media should be humiliated rather than appeased. Existing and potential supporters of Maxime Bernier are awaiting his responses.

  3. I hope he simply states that if the goal is to reduce CO2 then we are on the wrong path. Nuclear and LNG, both for domestic use and export. This is the ONLY way canada can make a measurable difference to atmospheric co2 levels. Doesn’t really matter if you actually think atmospheric co2 is a problem. If that is an actual concern this is how we can achieve it, while having a stable energy system and more wealth than even a Trudeau can waste.

  4. “The science is settled”.”We are following the science” . “The debate is over”. The Earth is flat and held in the ferment on the back of a giant turtle”. “ This was peer reviewed”. Thankfully real debate and real scientific investigation continued. We can only hope that that freedom to discuss and challenge ideas in open rational debate will arise again. Destroying the Wests economic underpinnings and not having to actually defend the rationale for doing so every step of the way is insanity ! Pierre’s proposal is the only way to reach anyway near the goals of net zero , if that is the real desires of the Canadian people. We don’t know if it is. We don’t get to openly hear dissenting views or evidence that refutes the Anthropogenic Warming theory without the “Denier” label being violently applied to those brave enough to speak out. It is time for real freedom of expression and ideas again. Time for real, honest debate and discussion not the sham and suppression that is going on right now.

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