"Conservative" May Sound Like "Conservation" but...

The Conservatives have leaked a climate change draft and the Globe and Mail got hold of it.* According to the Globe and the two environmentalists who analyzed the document on their behalf, this draft is exactly what one might expect from the Tory government. It borrows heavily from a 2005 Liberal proposal, it would not take effect until two years after the Liberal plan would have, and it is more concerned with economic growth than environmental progress. Basically, this Tory plan holds the three common characteristics of a Conservative environment policy:

1. it is borrowed from the Liberals
2. it delays action
3. it curtseys to big business.

The proposal would allow emissions from Alberta's oil sands industry to spike.** According to the Globe's environmentalists, the proposal vastly underestimates the future growth of the oil sands industry, thereby making the projections look far rosier than they otherwise would.

Clearly the Tory government cannot be trusted to protect the environment. What will they do if they win another term and run out of old Liberal ideas to brand as their own?

As an aside, the old Liberal plan that was the "inspiration" for this Tory proposal was drawn up by current Liberal leader Stephane Dion. If the Conservatives feel Dion's environmental credibility is so poor, why are they using his work for their own policies? It seems that not even the Conservatives believe their attack ads.

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* Remember when the Tories introduced their proposal to tax income trusts? Well, one very wise Tory mentioned how there was no leak because the Tories believe in proper governance. I guess the Tories don't really believe in good governance.

** Interesting that Harper would allow his home province's only industry to continue to grow. Talk about helping out friends. Sounds similar to his proposed tax cuts to the tobacco industry (the cuts that are so highly focused that they would only benefit one firm which just happens to be located in a Tory-held but vulnerable riding in Southern Ontario).