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For release: November 23, 2007


Climate Action Network Canada Invites Excluded MPs to join its delegation to UN climate negotiations in Bali


(Ottawa) Because climate change is a non-partisan issue that concerns all Canadians, Canada's Climate Action Network-Réseau action climat Canada is inviting opposition party Members of Parliament to join its delegation to the UN climate negotiations in Bali, Indonesia.

This week, the government took the unprecedented step of excluding opposition party MPs from Canada's delegation to the UN meeting, despite written requests from MPs interested in attending the meeting.

The Bali Conference of Parties, which runs from December 3-14, is expected to launch negotiations on the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol. It is widely viewed as a crucial meeting at a time of unprecedented public and scientific concern about global warming.

“Canada should be sending a delegation to the Kyoto meetings in Bali that represents the full breadth of Canadian public opinion,” said John Bennett, climateforchange.ca. “If the government was confident about its approach to global warming, it wouldn't be afraid to include democratically elected MPs who have been critical of the government's inaction.”

It has been the longstanding practice of the Government of Canada to include provincial governments, business, youth, environmental representatives and opposition parties in its delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties meetings. A year ago, the Harper government dropped environmental organizations from the delegation with no explanation. This week, the government decided to exclude all opposition parties as well.

“Democracy is more than just casting a ballot at election time. The UN negotiations will have a dramatic impact on Canada and we should be sending a delegation that represents the full spectrum of Canadian society to these sessions, just as we always have in the past,” said Graham Saul, Climate Action Network Canada-Réseau action climat Canada.

CAN-RAC as an accredited non-governmental organization with observer status at the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change, and has sent observers to all of its sessions. If Members of Parliament accept CAN's invitation, they will become part of CAN-RAC's official delegation.

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