VZCZCXRO9465
RR RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0214 0371447
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061447Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4931
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEAEPA/EPA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000214 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA, OES, AND EB 
DOE FOR POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL 
EPA FOR OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR AND INTERNATIONAL 
AFFAIRS 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG PGOV CA
SUBJECT: HOUSE PASSES NON-BINDING KYOTO RESOLUTION 
 
 
¶1. (U) The House of Commons voted along party lines on Monday 
to adopt a non-binding resolution calling on the government 
to "reconfirm Canada's commitment to honor the principles and 
targets of the Kyoto Protocol in their entirety."  Liberal 
(and Opposition) leader Stephane Dion introduced the measure 
last week.  The motion also called on the government to 
establish a credible plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
through a carbon trading system that would penalize large 
polluters and reward those who cut emissions. 
 
¶2. (U) Prime Minister Harper, seemingly unfazed, skipped the 
actual vote and reaffirmed his intention to continue 
developing an environment/climate change program based on the 
Clean Air Act introduced in the House last October.  During 
the afternoon's Question Period, he derided the Liberals, 
noting they had made no progress in reducing emissions from 
1997 through 2005 and had already announced they would be 
unable to do so between 2008 and 2012.  (If Canada is to meet 
its Kyoto commitments, Dion has claimed, the Liberals would 
have to take power this year.  Assuming power in 2008 would 
leave them insufficient time to meet the targets by 2012, he 
said.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) The actual non-binding resolution carries no weight, 
but the unanimity of the opposition parties may add a new 
twist to the debate.  At the very least it reflects a 
continuation of the Liberal strategy of trying to paint the 
Tories into a corner on the environment.  And it is clear 
that the New Democratic Party is still probing to find its 
greatest leverage in the environmental arena.  While they 
(the NDP) voted with the Liberals on the Kyoto resolution, 
NDP environmental critic Nathan Cullen harshly criticized the 
Liberals, complaining they would be working on amending the 
Clean Air Act rather than proposing non-binding resolutions 
if they were truly serious about climate change. 
 
Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa 
 
WILKINS