A Coup D'etat In Canada?

That is something reserved for third world countries. Hmmm! Now that I think about it thanks to leftists and social in-activists we have been moving towards that status. I don't disagree that we have to spend the money now or will have to spend more in the future but allowing countries like China & Russia to opt out is ludicrous especially when you consider China is a major competitor for Canadian jobs.

Power struggle brewing over opposition Kyoto bill

Updated Fri. Feb. 9 2007 11:02 PM ET

Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- The Conservative government was accused of preparing a quasi "coup d'etat" after suggesting Friday it might ignore an upcoming Commons vote to respect the Kyoto accord.

The Tories dismissed as insignificant a Liberal bill that would require them to table a plan within 60 days explaining how they would meet Canada's commitments under the climate-change treaty.

The bill is slated for a final vote in the House of Commons next Wednesday, having easily sailed through an earlier vote with the support of all three opposition parties.

Some constitutional experts said the government has a democratic obligation to follow laws adopted by Parliament and could face lawsuits if it fails to comply.

The Liberal who authored the bill said ignoring it would amount to a "coup d'etat" and would trigger a constitutional crisis -- but the government discarded such suggestions.

"No," said Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon, when asked if the government felt bound by Bill C-288.

"I'm telling you that we will act (on the environment) instead of adopting an empty piece of legislation."

It was the latest twist in a climate change debate that has become increasingly politicized as polls suggest the environment has become a dominant issue for Canadians.

The legislation was also ridiculed as useless by House Leader Peter Van Loan, by spokespeople for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and in government talking points distributed to reporters.

They did not explicitly say they would ignore the law, but said their government's fate was not bound to it. The legislation contains no financial provisions and is not being considered a confidence matter.

As for the environment, the Conservatives said they were working to revise their own Clean Air Act and noted that greenhouse-gas emissions rose nearly 30 per cent under the Liberals.

The Kyoto target -- a six per cent cut in emissions by 2012 -- would be impossible to meet without crippling the economy, they said.

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