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Dear Andy,
While the dust settles after the longest election in recent Canadian history, there’s been a palpable collective sigh of relief. We’ve finally kicked Harper to the curb. Under Harper’s “leadership,” we had a government that thwarted climate action, science-based decision-making and reconciliation with the people who are indigenous to this land.
The Liberals won because Canadians want significant change and trust that you will make policy decisions based on science and fact, as opposed to ideology. Yet, the Liberal climate policy (or lack thereof) is missing prescribed scientific solutions.
It’s great that Trudeau invited opposition leaders and premiers to attend the Paris climate talks this month as part of his posse, but let’s not forget that these gestures were standard practice until Mr. Harper rolled in.
Here in Halifax, Andy, we prescribe to the “lead or follow” rule for politicians: be a leader, or follow your constituents when they take the lead for you. Your predecessors—Alexa and Megan—demonstrated leadership on important issues and we expect the same of you.
Consider this your chance to distinguish yourself as an MP who understands what climate change will mean for his own community, and who will champion policy change with the urgency the climate crisis necessitates.
As your new constituents, we find ourselves wondering how you will live up to the high expectations this community has. How will you represent us? Where will you stand when it comes to the most important questions of our generation. We’ve made a list of things that need to happen for this country to tackle the climate crisis. As a starting point, we expect you to champion the following changes in parliament:
i. Implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
ii. A federal climate action plan that includes greenhouse gas emission reduction targets;
iii. A legally binding agreement in Paris in line with science that keeps us below two degrees of warming;
iv. An immediate end to fossil fuel subsidies;
v. A commitment to heavy investments in sustainable, long-term renewable energy solutions;
vi. A moratorium on all tar sands expansion;
vii. No new tar sands infrastructure
projects, including the Energy East pipeline;
viii. A moratorium on offshore drilling in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence;
ix. Revocation of the TPP and an to end back-door destructive free trade deals;
x. A decarbonized energy economy by 2050.
We are writing today to tell you that, as people from all parts of this country host a Climate Welcome in Ottawa to demand climate leadership from Justin Trudeau, here in Halifax we plan to do the same.
We are not interested in the symbolic gestures on climate change that your party has offered thus far. Andy, we will be taking you and your party to task on climate change. We’ll accept nothing less than real climate action now and we will be here to respond.
With cautious optimism, Kiki Wood, national director of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition and Katie Perfitt, member of the Canadian Youth Delegation to COP21 in Paris
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Voice of the City is a platform for any and all Halifax individuals to share their diverse opinions and writings. The Coast does not guarantee the accuracy of, or endorse the views of those published. Our editors reserve the right to alter submissions for clarity, length and style. Want to appear in this section? Submissions can be sent to voice@thecoast.ca.
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This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2015.
And the money will come from ……. ?
Flying to Paris to be part of a crowd is a gross waste of fuel.
Far more important issues to be worrying about than climate policy, cute pet project though.
Climate change is an enormous problem already. See the many examples of regional conflicts (many over fossil fuels), increasing frequency of extreme weather events, and related population displacements. It is amazing that people oppose allowing refugees in Canada and measures to combat climate change, without realizing that a growing number of refugees is symptomatic of climate change.
Agreed, the past few governments have done nothing for climate change. Nobody wants to make unpopular decisions that benefit citizens further out than their 4 year mandate.
A mainstream Canadian politician is never going to implement or suggest a moratorium on tarsands production. Alberta’s NDP premier and Calgary’s beloved mayor Nenshi are supporters of pipeline expansion and the oil industry; any notion that we will ever have official anti-tarsands legislation is total fantasy.
Much better to work towards accelerating the pace of renewable energy production and clean vehicles. Whrn those are cheap enough and efficient enough, no one will want our dirty oil anyway.
An open letter to the Coast
Dear losers, your messiah Megan Leslie not only lost, she got her ass handed to her on a silver platter with ALL the trimmings. I’m talkin cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, salad, gravy, sausage meat, yams, carrots, bacon wrapped shrimp THE WHOLE NINE. Nova Scotians have soundly rejected the NDP both Provincially and Federally, so you’ve got a lot of soul searching to do. I’m actually shocked you guys didn’t write a hatched job piece on Andy right before the election like you did with Stan Kutcher, or was that Bosquet’s idea?
Megan Leslie was all style and no substance. Halifax and Canada are better off with her gone. The best news came shortly after the election when she said she wouldn’t run for the Provincial leadership because even though she was a useless MP a lot of people still fall for her brand of B.S. That woman could sell ice to Iqaluit. Andy Fillmore will do more as an MP in his first week for Halifax than Leslie did in her entire tenure. How is that possible? Because she did Jack Squat for Halifax.
Enjoy the next 4 years of ACTUAL governing, sit back and learn something.
I didn’t know who Andy Fillmore was until I Googled him, THEN I understood the context of the open letter. Yes, I am an avid political person, but just happen to not have a memory for every person who won in Nova Scotia during the election.
Could The Coast please remember that not everyone who reads their paper is aware of the identity of people? A brief ‘Andy Filmore is the new Liberal MP, who defeated Megan Leslie’ would have been SO helpful as part of the intro to the story.
The Stan Kutcher thing was classic.
Anyway, glad to see her gone.
“Climate change is very real and should not be taken lightly.”
/me gets on jumbo jet and burns several thousands of liters of fuel to go to Paris to protest climate change
Darlings, Andy and the Liberals were NOT elected for their position on climate change. There will be no climate change talk without having addressed other foundation issues first. Without a stable and forceful economy, the fact that it’s a degree warmer will not change the fact we are hungry, sick, uneducated, physically unsafe…
Please people, focus on today and not your unfounded fears for tomorrow.
The majority of these comments show the ignorance of anonymous commentators. Kiki, Katie and Megan walk the walk using their full names. They put in the hours; are committed and on the case of solving the problems. Anonymous posters are the ugly side of humanity–uninformed, spreading libellous statements without fear of reprisal and, frankly, distasteful individuals. As a volunteer for a fair, inexpensive and simple strategy to kickstart clean energy tech, take a small bite out of poverty and reduce carbon emissions we are presently on a province wide tour meeting with N.S. MPs. We got responses from six M.P.s and meetings with five; Andy Fillmore has not acknowledged the letter or responded; another of our members has also repeatedly asked for a meeting with him. Megan Leslie always responded and met with us three times. I’m giving Andy the benefit of the doubt for a while but it is not a good sign.