🚀 go-pugleaf

Jason Moscovitz broadcast David McKay's assessment of
Sheila Copps' management of the Environment portfolio
which she has held since the last federal election on The
House (CBC Radio) this morning (Saturday, 15 April 1995).
It was far from favourable. Disappointment in her
performance is almost universal. Elizabeth May was able
to describe the anticipated legislation on Bio-diversity
as meritorious. It is important, but hardly enough to
earn kudos for one who was expected to transfer some of
her feistiness from the Opposition benches to the
Government ones. Unfortunately her words no longer
command respect in the Commons. 

Moscovitz then interviewed Ms Copps who is just back from
the Global Warming Conference in Berlin, which she
characterized as much more difficult than the photo-ops
at Rio had been for her predecessors in 1992. Ms Copps
also claimed that she was more interested in delivering
on her more realistic commitments than they had. What
exactly she has in mind, however, remains mysterious.

In addition to being burdened with the impossible dreams
of her predecessors, Ms Copps is also discouraged by the
Reformers who already think that she is doing too much.
At the same time, she seems to think that she really
needs some pressure from the opposition side of the house
to make her adrenaline flow. Knowing that, she might well
push a more active agenda, certain that the Reformers
will give her the profile she so desperately craves.
Instead, though, she whines about how hard it is to make
progress.

Curious, I think. But if Ms Copps cannot use the
advantage of Reform opposition to promote saner
environmental ethics, perhaps an extra-Parliamentary
party can. Such an opening for the Green Party must not
be missed.

Don Francis
National Campaign Facilitator
Green Party of Canada