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Environmental Leaders
Innisfil Enterprise
May 23, 2007
By Peter Van Loan, MP, York-Simcoe
This past Monday, I represented the
Government of Canada at an event to honour
former Premier William Davis. He was being
recognized for his contribution to Ontario's
environment, especially for the creation of
the Niagara Escarpment protection he enacted
into law,
This followed an event last year where
Canadian Environmentalists honoured Brian
Mulroney as the most environmentally
supportive Prime Minister in Canadian
history.
What is remarkable about these two events is
not the honour presented - in each case they
were very deserved. What is significant is
the difference between how the leaders were
treated in office by the media and
environmental groups, and today's accolades.
As Conservative leaders, both Mulroney and
Davis were subject to ruthless criticism in
office by the environmentalists. Yet
afterwards, with the passage of time, the
results that were delivered are finally
acknowledged.
Davis, in addition to establishing
Escarpment Protection, revolutionized land
use planning, instituted policies to protect
the environment in the process, protected
natural lands, and instituted unprecedented
tough rules on pollution.
Mulroney delivered a dramatic acid rain
treaty with the USA (Davis was his envoy),
advanced protection of endangered species,
established enormous new national parks,
helped institute protection of the Rouge
Valley, and signed the Rio agreement - an
unprecedented but practical international
environmental treaty.
It is an unfortunate reality in our
political system that partisan and media
biases result in negative coverage of
Conservative environmental policies when
they are in office. The facts are not
important, it seems.
The same can be said to apply to the Stephen
Harper Government. While environmental
groups continue to level criticism, the
actual government policies are delivering
never before seen results for the
environment.
Under the recently released emissions plan,
Canada's new government will - for the first
time in Canadian history - deliver actual
reductions in greenhouse gases (until now,
they have only gone up - emission targets
have been voluntary). Similarly,
smog-causing pollutants like nitrogen oxide,
sulphur dioxide, and volatile organic
compounds will - for the first time - be
regulated by the federal government and
reduced.
The Harper Conservatives have also released
significant funding for preservation of
environmentally sensitive lands, and have
moved to ban cancer-causing household
substances.
I am particularly proud of our national
water strategy, including the $12 million
for Lake Simcoe's environment - a never
before seen initiative.
I have no doubt, that some day - decades
away probably - I will find myself at an
event with the leaders of today's
environmental movements. We will be gathered
to honour the Stephen Harper Conservative
Government of the early 21st Century for its
work in delivering more real results for the
environment than any other in Canada's
history. We will chuckle about how it took
years for the good work to be recognized.
It will be nostalgic for me - a bit of deja
vu, you might say. Reminding me of the
"better late than never" recognition earned
by Davis and Mulroney for their
environmental accomplishments - I will think
to myself that it's a good thing
Conservative leaders do what's right for the
environment, despite what the critics say.
Because, if they did it for the reviews they
were getting at the time - they wouldn't do
a thing. But that's not our way. The
environment is too important. Its results,
not reviews, that matter.
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