The fight against climate change and excessive greenhouse gas emissions got some strong support from Wildrose party leader Danielle Smith in Red Deer on Friday.
After being accused earlier in the week on not being clear about whether she believes climate change exists, Smith said she and Wildrose members are prepared to act on climate change should her party form the government.
She also maintained her tack of the last few days saying she need not pronounce on the severity of the topic because neither she nor her party members are scientists,
“I accept that climate change is a reality, as do our members. I accept that there is a human influence on it,” said Smith at a media availability session during the party’s two-day annual general meeting at the Sheraton Red Deer Hotel.
“It’s up to the scientists to do the research on the extent and how fast, but I think with that as a background, the solution for politicians is we have to come up with answers for how we would do it in a sensible way.”
Today, Wildrose will debate and vote on a number of proposed policy changes, including one that would commit the party to “reduce greenhouse gases by advancing, implementing, and co-operating on technology, research, conservation, and alternative renewable energy sources” and another ensuring the province’s emissions protocols are on par with national and international standards.
In the 2012 election campaign, Smith came under fire for insisting that the science around climate change was not settled. While saying Friday that there are a “variety of different views out there, particularly in Alberta,” she said members are “overwhelmingly in favour” of passing policies committing the party to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
She said the issue has never been formally debated by party members before, but that they are now on board with tackling it.
“When our members are silent on particular issues, I try my best to interpret. Sometimes I get it wrong, and in this case I’m pleased to see that our members want us to move forward on a policy,” said Smith.
After being criticized by government Environment Minister Dianne McQueen on Thursday for her refusal to state her own personal opinion on climate change, Smith shot back by calling McQueen a “do-nothing environment minister.” She said Alberta’s environmental record under the Progressive Conservatives is hurting the province at home and abroad.
“It’s affecting Alberta. It’s affecting our markets. It’s affecting our ability to get access to markets. It’s affecting our relationship with our neighbours in Eastern Canada. It’s affecting the federal dynamic,” said Smith.
Other issues to be debated today include dumping the idea of a provincial police force, no longer calling for the abolition of Human Rights Commissions, and backing away from instituting “conscience rights” guarantees. A proposed constitutional change would ensure the party make the candidate selection process more rigourous.
The latter proposal is in response to homophobic and demeaning statements by candidates during the 2012 election campaign that Smith said turned voters off of her party in the campaign’s last 10 days, turning what looked like a sure Wildrose victory into a PC landslide.
Smith also said the party is seeking to demonstrate to Albertans that while it will aim to balance budgets, it will not do on the backs of front-line workers and the most vulnerable. In her keynote address to members Friday night, she criticized the government’s shuttering of Michener Centre.
“The difference in cost of keeping Michener open is just $1.4 million per year, less than the cost of the raise the PC MLAs voted for themselves last year,” she said.
mfish@www.reddeeradvocate.com