Hill Times: Ambrose not yet briefed on science of climate change: critics

[tuvor]

Critics question how seriously the Harper government is approaching the climate change issue after nearly nine months in power in Ottawa.

After nearly nine months in government, sources say Environment Minister Rona Ambrose has not received a departmental briefing on the science of climate change, leading her critics to question how seriously the Conservative government approaches the issue.

Steven Guilbeault, a climate change campaigner for Greenpeace Canada, said normally one of the first things a new Environment minister would do is receive a number of briefings. "Once they've been appointed they would have briefings on various portfolios or various files within their portfolios, you know, clean air, toxics, nature, climate change. This is an absolute minimum," he said, adding that he suspects that the minister has chosen not to be briefed by her Department's scientists.

The Hill Times spoke with a well-connected source who asked not to be named and who supports the science of climate change, and as of the week of Oct. 9, the source said, Ms. Ambrose (Edmonton-Spruce Grove, Alta.) had not been briefed by the Environment Department's scientists specializing on climate change. "It's shocking, isn't it?" the source said.

"I would find that astonishing," Matthew Bramley, climate change expert at the environmental pressure group the Pembina Institute, told The Hill Times. "There's the fact that the government itself has said this is an important issue, and given that the international scientific community has delivered numerous calls for urgent action."

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