While Environment Minister Jim Prentice clings to the tired old "either-or" framing of environment vs. economy, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff just jumped ahead to "both-and."
In a speech yesterday, Mr. Ignatieff pledged to campaign on "the most significant national investment in clean energy jobs this country has ever seen."
This is a recognition that the next industrial revolution and next significant wave of job creation will centre on decarbonizing our economy. Like all industrial revolutions, there will be winners and losers - and Canada is currently on track to fall into the loser category, left behind by other countries making large clean energy investments today.
Some of our provinces are stepping up, such as Ontario with its Green Energy Act. Right after the Act's renewable pricing regulations were announced, two large wind power projects began to move ahead, with more in the works.
But, instead of a coherent Canadian push towards a clean energy economy we have a patchwork of local initiatives, and a federal government more interested in coddling tar sands polluters than becoming a winner in the next industrial revolution.
Mr. Ignatieff's speech could begin to change that, should he flesh out his ideas into more concrete terms so that voters can get excited by them. We need to hear more about specific policy proposals that will drive change, and more about how carbon cuts are the other side of the clean energy coin.
But, the speech was a step forwards to that place, and for that we are thankful.
Matt Price
Program Manager
Energy and Climate
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