Bill C-311 the Climate Change Accountability Act: action or aspiration?

6/3/2010

 
On May 5, 2010 federal Parliament narrowly passed the opposition-driven Climate Change Accountability Act.  The event garnered little press attention – and for good reason.  First, the Act, a private member’s bill, passed by only 13 votes, with 23 MPs not voting – an abysmal show of democratic apathy and disinterest.  Second, the Act is likely to be of little or no consequence to government action on climate change.
 
Although a range of NGOs supported Bill C-311, the problematic legal issues with it were never fully addressed.  After the Supreme Court of Canada declined to grant leave in the case of Friends of the Earth v. Canada, (2008 FC 1183, (T.D.) appeal dismissed 2009 FCA 297) in March 2010, the Climate Change Accountability Act should have been re-drafted.
 
Read “Bill C-311 the Climate Change Accountability Act: action or aspiration?” on the ELC blog.
 
 

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