Speech from the Throne

The devil, as they say, is in the details. But getting details about energy and climate change elements of the latest Throne Speech is proving to be a devil of a job.

Opening the 40th Parliament, the speech was the customary outline of the government’s policy agenda, a key element of which is securing Canada’s energy future “by developing our rich energy resources and pursuing new cleaner energy supplies, including further development of natural gas resources in Canada’s North.” 

Explaining that geography and climate necessitate affordable and reliable energy, the government said northern gas represents not only an untapped source of “clean” fuel but also an “unequalled avenue to creating economic opportunities for northern people.” So expect fewer regulatory obstacles to pipeline extensions if the National Energy Board goes along.

But with a global economic crisis threatening our future, concern for the environment had to be tempered with what the Conservatives labeled a “realistic, responsible approach” to climate change. They reiterated their plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 “while . . . ensuring that Canada’s actions going forward remain comparable to what our partners in the United States, Europe and other industrialized countries undertake.” 

The Conservatives pledged to work with all stakeholders “to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases and an effective international protocol for the post-2012 period.” A companion commitment to generating 90 per cent of Canada’s electricity from non-emitting sources would include expanded nuclear and hydroelectric capacity. 

The immediate aftermath saw ministers echoing generalities of the Throne Speech, but avoiding details or further explanation.

New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton said his party was prepared to support the minority government if it moved away from its previously-stated preference for “intensity-based” emissions caps. Without that, he suggested, an intensity-based North American regime was impracticable because U.S. president-elect Barack Obama had rejected it “very explicitly”. 

On the other hand, there would be the devil to pay for Conservatives among core supporters in the oil and gas-producing provinces. Details will likely be a long time coming.