1 March 2002
Dear [Liberal MP],
Re: Recent federal Liberal environmental policy developments
The Liberal government is, once again, failing to keep its promises to protect our environment, or so it seems after recent statements by the Hon. David Anderson, Minister of the Environment, and concerned Liberal Members of Parliament.
If reports about the current version of the endangered species legislation that the Liberal government first promised in 1993 are true, the Liberals will pass legislation that will simply insure that many species in Canada continue towards extinction.
If the Liberal government's growing reluctance to ratify Kyoto - in deference to US global warming policy statements and the environmental irresponsibility of some Premiers - results in a failure to ratify, the Liberals will insure that Canada's air quality and our contribution to global warming will continue to worsen, not improve.
Because of Liberal government policies, the quality of Canada's environment has continued to degrade since 1993. Even today - despite promises, commitments, and almost a decade of failure - the Liberal government's current legislative agenda will not begin to reverse this degradation.
Environment Voters' political viewpoint is pragmatic. It appears that most Liberal MPs and Cabinet Ministers have determined that there are more votes to be harvested from policies that will encourage species extinction and global warming than from policies that will improve Canada's environment.
Our environmental hope is that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet will listen to the environmentally responsible and knowledgeable Liberal MPs and their scientific advisors, will reconsider their environmental policy decisions, and will muster the same political courage in the fight to protect Canada's environment that they used in the fight to deal with Canada's economic woes.
Our political hope is, when Environment Voters runs its 3rd party campaigns in marginal electoral districts in the next federal election, we will be asking people to vote for Liberal candidates because they will be able to demonstrate that during the Liberal's term in government Canada's environment became measurably cleaner, healthier, and better protected.
Yours sincerely,
Liz White
Director