The growing environmental crisis is getting so obvious that no politican can afford to ignore it any longer.....even conservatives. Well, at least not Canadian conservatives. Harper's effort better be legimate or it will sink the party.

What I want to know is how much did it cost taxpayers to cancel the Energuide program and then ressurect essentially the same program some months later?

THere is a lot of posturing--especially in trying to sell as "NEW" programs that are essentially the same as the previous Liberal government had started/proposed. BUt I think Harper has come to see that some legitimate effort has to be made. TIme will tell which it is.

Posturing, for sure.

I'm with the previous poster that said "how much did it cost to cancel the Energuide program, and then start it up again" ... same thing, different day.

The Tories are trying look progressive, while hiding whatever their agenda is ... and there is always an agenda ... especially with Harper ...

I think Harper's politically smart enough to know which way the wind's blowing - he'll work with the NDP and Bloc enough to bring in some new or recycled energy programs that will keep the media at bay and his party in power.

The Liberals surely know that they can't win an election on their environmental record - they were in for years and years, and considered some things, but never really did get around to doing much.

Harper's also smart enough to know that the public is only interested in green programs to a certain extent. We'll recycle, and want to be seen to be doing more, but we don't want to cripple our economy, or bet the whole financial farm on Kyoto - especially when most of the world's economic giants seem to be taking a very conservative approach to green programs.

It amazes me that 31% of us think this is a legitimate effort. I guess Harper's born again because the environment sure didn't see important to him until public opinion fired against him for his 2050 effort. The proof is in the pudding. I"m not convinced he's really committed but is just trying to steal thunder from opposition parties who can legitimately challenge him on this issue.

Politicians often act in ways that I find disgusting! But I also realize we don't live in Utopia. We're never going to get rid of these public office holders and seekers for whom staying in power is more imprtant than the public good--no matter how many modern-day Amoses and Jeremiah's are sent to them. Of course, the other side of this is that, if you're not in power, you can't do a great deal either. So it's a bind. Consequently, the best we can hope and fight for is environmental polices and interventions that can succeed in the present climate and make a real difference. Perhaps what we need is a political system where civil cooperation among the parties is a sine qua non and in which we get rid of the atrocious political grandstanding and outrageoous ad attacks with which Canadians currently are psychologically abused!

"It amazes me that 31% of us think this is a legitimate effort. I guess Harper's born again because the environment sure didn't see important to him until public opinion fired against him for his 2050 effort. The proof is in the pudding. I"m not convinced he's really committed but is just trying to steal thunder from opposition parties who can legitimately challenge him on this issue. "

Oh, I admit that Harper's conversion is pretty convenient, but any politician worth his salt will react to public opinion. Is he "heart-and-soul" committed to a green agenda? Probably not, but how committed were the Liberals? Yeah, they worked on some issues, but when it came to actually paying for anything and ensuring the required work was completed, it seems they were only paying lip service.

The love affair with Kyoto that we see in some circles really needs to be questioned, I believe. That whole credit payment part really seems to be flawed in my opinion. If we really feel compelled to help other countries with their environmental programs, why not establish some sort of trade system with them, instead of just cutting them a cheque?

Hopefully, the rest of this term will see some real cooperation by the parties in power, and we'll see some real work done on the green portfolio.