Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper campaigns against the Environment

by Eugene Parks, British Columbia Editorialist

	Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Few political parties have been foolish enough to present views on health and the environment that can be effectively attacked during a general federal election. That is until now.

Last summer, Mr. Harper prorogued Parliament to derail Bill C-78, the proposed Canadian Environmental Assessment Act that would have enhanced climate protection in Canada. As an alternative, Mr. Harper went to Montebello Quebec and talked with George Bush to further integrate Canada into U.S. objectives.

Then taking Mr. Harper's views International, Environment Minister John Baird went to the Bali world climate conference and echoed Bush-administration talking points. In Bali, Mr. Baird publicly worked to derail agreements for absolute worldwide greenhouse gas emissions caps; and he succeeded.

At the same time in Canada, the Harper government put both healthcare and the environment at risk by mismanaging the Chalk River medical isotope facility. The Minister of Natural resources, Gary Lunn, failed to act when it became known that the facility was running without adequate nuclear safeguards. No attempt was made to either make alternative arrangements for medical isotopes or to immediately fix the nuclear facility.

Evidently, Harper's government is actively working against environment protection and ignoring healthcare. His cabinet's blatant capriciousness led to a medical crises and an environmental-health risk from a nuclear facility and embarrassment on the international stage.

Nevertheless, Mr. Harper and his ministers continue mouthing concern. For the environment they point to money for new parks, for health a new computer system -- both promised but as yet undelivered. Positive actions taken consist of giving new names to a few restarted programs that they initially cancelled.

Our founding constitution mandates parliament to provide "Peace, Order and Good Government". Canadians culturally affirm that mandate. We expect "Good Government" to include environmental protection and quality healthcare. Canadians judge governments on their contribution to quality-of-life issues. We know there is no mandate to use the office of the Prime Minster to advance a Bush-U.S. agenda against Canadian values and expectations.

Accordingly, Mr. Harper's action may result in the upcoming federal election being the first general election in which the environment-health file is prominently debated and affects the outcome.

About the writer:

Eugene Parks is a product manager whose accomplishments include more than twenty-five million users and over one billion dollars in software managed assets.

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