VZCZCXRO6675
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0189/01 0331640
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021640Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4908
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2200
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1273
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0174
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0380
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1486
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3295
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 000189 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
WHITE HOUSE PASS CEQ 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN, G, EB, OES 
DOE FOR POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO EPA WASHDC 
EPA FOR OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR AND INTERNATIONAL 
AFFAIRS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2112 
TAGS: SENV PGOV PINR ENRG CA
SUBJECT: CANADA'S NEW ENVIRONMENT MINISTER HITS THE GROUND 
RUNNING 
 
 
Classified By: Classified by Economic Minister-Counselor 
Brian J. Mohler for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Canada's new Environment Minister John Baird 
seems delighted to have responsibility for the politically 
charged environmental portfolio which is expected to be a key 
issue in the national election anticipated for later this 
year.  Already, he has demonstrated his skills on the floor 
of Parliament strongly defending the Conservatives' 
environmental program from the rhetorical barbs of the new 
Liberal leader and former Environmental Minister Stephane 
Dion.  Baird told the Ambassador during a courtesy call that 
he "loves" partisan debate.  Most observers felt that Baird's 
predecessor, Rona Ambrose, had not been effective in 
defending the Harper policy in Parliament.  The Minister said 
that although the Conservatives reject Kyoto as unworkable, 
they do care about the environment and want to put into place 
effective programs that go beyond neutralizing the issue and 
help Canadians.  The new Minister confirmed that Canada wants 
to join the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and 
Climate (APP) as well as the Coalition Against Wildlife 
Trafficking (CAWT).  Baird said he had been impressed by the 
CAFE standards the President announced in his State of the 
Union speech and applauded the White House's skill in 
marketing some of Bush's proposals in ways readily 
understandable by the public.  As a Minister new to his 
portfolio, Baird said that he would go to Paris to attend the 
Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting to 
learn about the scientific basis of global warming.  In an 
aside, Baird expressed strong support for the Canadian 
military effort in Afghanistan.  Comment:  Baird is a young, 
ambitious and dynamic minister who should be one of the 
Conservatives' top leadership prospects in the future.  It is 
clear that Baird hopes a strong performance handling the 
politically sensitive environmental file will eventually be 
rewarded by his appointment to an even higher profile 
Ministry.  End Comment and Summary. 
 
A New Minister Happy in His Job 
------------------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador, accompanied by Economic 
Minister-Counselor, paid a courtesy call on newly appointed 
Environment Minister John Baird at his Parliamentary office 
on January 31.  Baird came to the meeting after enduring a 
tough grilling on the Harper government's environment policy 
during the daily Question Period in the House of Commons. 
Although he had fielded 25 opposition questions on his 
portfolio, he was energized by the experience.  Embassy 
comment:  Baird clearly enjoys and is comfortable with the 
rough-and-tumble of Parliamentary debate in contrast to his 
predecessor Rona Ambrose.  End comment.  The Minister 
commented that he "loves" partisan debate.  During Question 
Period, he had countered many questions from Liberal 
opposition leader Stephane Dion and others by quoting back to 
them their own past statements (Kyoto will be much too 
expensive for Canada to implement, etc.) which undercut their 
Qexpensive for Canada to implement, etc.) which undercut their 
pro-Kyoto arguments and by questioning the Liberals' own 
record on the environment during their 13 years in power. 
 
The Conservative Environmental Game Plan 
---------------------------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Baird said that he is working hard to get NDP 
support for the government's clean air legislation.  This has 
not been achieved yet, but he was hopeful.  The Harper 
government sees the environment as a potential political 
winner for the Conservatives.  Although they reject Kyoto as 
unworkable, the Conservatives do care about the environment. 
Baird wants government to act and not be satisfied by simply 
neutralizing the environment as an issue. 
 
¶4. (C) The Minister recently saw Al Gore's environmental film 
and thought it was a great example of effective publicity. 
But he thought that the former Vice President was being 
disingenuous about the need to adhere to Kyoto since 
President Clinton never moved the agreement to the Senate 
 
OTTAWA 00000189  002 OF 003 
 
 
where he knew it would not be ratified.  The Conservatives, 
Baird continued, do not intend to mention Kyoto any more and 
will ask the Canadian voter to judge them on what they are 
doing, including the Clean Air act and the eco-ENERGY 
initiatives recently announced.  Baird sees his Ministerial 
job as 51% developing good policy and political strategy and 
49% selling the Conservative environmental agenda to the 
public. 
 
Surprised To Be At Environment 
------------------------------ 
¶5. (C) Baird volunteered that he had not asked to be 
environment minister.  He had been happy as Treasury Board 
President where, as a fiscal conservative, he could cut 
"stupid" spending.  When the Prime Minister called Baird to 
24 Sussex Drive before last month's Cabinet shakeup, he would 
not have chosen the Environment Department as his next 
portfolio.  Now that he has the job, however, he's delighted 
by its challenges.  He regards it as a "first-line" 
Ministerial position and recognizes that the environment and 
Afghanistan may be the two most important issues in the next 
election, which he does not anticipate happening before the 
fall unless one of the opposition parties makes a tactical 
mistake and forces an election no one wants now. 
 
APP 
--- 
¶6.  (SBU) The Minister said that Canada is interested in 
joining the U.S. and other nations in the Asia Pacific 
Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) and 
appreciates the U.S.'s support.  Harper, he said, is 
interested in environmental work being done by non-Kyoto 
signatories, including China and India.  Baird disclosed that 
he discussed the matter by phone with Council of 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chairman Jim Connaughton a few 
days ago. 
 
CAWT 
---- 
¶7. (SBU) Baird confirmed that he had received a letter from 
OES A/S McMurray, asking him to help launch Canada's joining 
the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) at the UN 
Environmental Program General Council in Nairobi on February 
¶10.  He said that Parliamentary business will prevent him 
from going to Nairobi, but confirmed that Canada will join 
the CAWT. 
 
Impressed by U.S. Energy Initiatives 
------------------------------------ 
¶8. (SBU) The Minister was especially interested in President 
Bush's State of the Union announcement to increase CAFE 
standards for cars.  He said that the GoC is under a lot of 
pressure to align its fuel efficiency standards with those of 
California, but implied that this may be more than the 
Conservatives could stomach.  His staff is working with the 
Prime Minister's Office on Governor Schwarzenegger's spring 
visit to Ottawa.  Baird said that he was impressed by the 
simplicity of the message of some of the President's energy 
initiatives, especially the "20 in 10" proposal (reducing 
gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years).  He thought 
that this kind of catchy phrase using benchmarks everyone 
understands is more tangible to the public than vague Kyoto 
pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a given 
percent. 
 
IPCC 
---- 
¶9. (U) Baird said that he would go shortly to Paris to attend 
Q9. (U) Baird said that he would go shortly to Paris to attend 
the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Baird 
flew to Paris on February 1.)  He said that as an Environment 
Minister new to this complex file, he wants to talk to 
scientists and get educated on the science behind global 
warming. 
 
Afghanistan 
 
OTTAWA 00000189  003 OF 003 
 
 
----------- 
¶10. (SBU) As the meeting ended, the Minister recounted his 
December trip to visit Canada's forces in Afghanistan.  He 
sees Canada's involvement in the NATO force fighting the 
Taliban as an essential national commitment and is impressed 
by the high morale and determination of the troops he 
visited.  He also applauded the great cooperation with the 
USG on this mission.  Baird described how he spent a cold 
night trying to sleep in a tent with the soldiers and said 
that he was proud to fire an artillery piece (although he did 
not think that the shell had caused casualties).  He quipped 
that when he was called to the Prime Minister's residence 
shortly after his return, he wondered whether he would be 
switched to the Department of National Defense in light of 
his Afghan trip.  He got Environment instead, but was not 
dissatisfied. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS