EDITORIAL: PM doubles down on climate failure

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When we first saw the announcement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new cabinet committees last week, we thought it was a misprint. 

How could two separate cabinet committees, each with 14 members for a total of 28 (that’s more than 70% of the 39-member cabinet), have exactly the same mandate?

One is called the Cabinet Committee on Economy, Inclusion and Climate “A” which: “Considers such issues as sustainable and inclusive social and economic development, post-pandemic recovery, decarbonization, and the environment as well as improving the health and quality of life of Canadians.”

The other is the Cabinet Committee on Economy, Inclusion and Climate “B” which: “Considers such issues as sustainable and inclusive social and economic development, post-pandemic recovery, decarbonization, and the environment and improving the health and quality of life of Canadians.”

The members of the Climate A committee are Chair: Carla Qualtrough, Vice-Chair: Pablo Rodriguez, members Omar Alghabra, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Jean-Yves Duclos, Patricia Hajdu, Marci Ien, Helena Jaczek, Kamal Khera, Seamus O’Regan, Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Filomena Tassi, Jonathan Wilkinson and Daniel Vandal.

The members of the Climate B committee are Chair: François-Philippe Champagne, Vice-Chair: Ahmed D. Hussen, members  Carolyn Bennett, Randy Boissonnault, Sean Fraser, Steven Guilbeault, Mark Holland, Gudie Hutchings, Dominic LeBlanc, Diane Lebouthillier, Marc Miller, Joyce Murray, Mary F.Y. Ng and Pascale St-Onge.

Asked about the need for two identical cabinet committees out of a total of 12, the PMO said:

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“This structural change will deliver results for Canadians by accelerating action on the government’s platform commitments. As we finish the fight on COVID-19 and build a resilient recovery, both committees will be able to work on policies to make sure they promote economic growth that works for Canadians and builds a cleaner, greener future.”

Given that indigestible word salad, Paul Wells, writing in Maclean’s, dubbed it “the climate committee double-double”, predicting it will collapse “under the weight of its own absurdity.”

To us, it’s another example of how the Trudeau Liberals are more concerned with appearances rather than substance on climate change, driven home by the fact that since former PM Jean Chretien announced the Liberals’ first greenhouse gas emissions target in 1993, they’ve failed to meet all of them.