Now that our election is over and Canada’s government has changed hands, it feels like Christmas has come early. Which means I might as well put together my Christmas list early, too. Only this time I’m sending it to Canada’s Prime Minister Designate Justin Trudeau instead of Santa.
Good news, one of my wishes has already been granted! Just last week Mr. Trudeau asked Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party of Canada, to be a part of Canada’s delegation to the upcoming UN Paris talks on climate change. Hurrah! Ms. May will, no doubt, be an extremely valuable addition to the Canadian delegation at the COP 21 climate summit.
But, wait, it gets better!
Trudeau also invited provincial premiers from across our nation to be a part of Canada’s COP 21 delegation. Then, in what I call a bold and incredibly smart move, Trudeau invited environmental groups to be a part of our country’s delegation to the climate talks, too. Triple hurrah!
The importance of the Paris climate summit starting Nov. 30, 2015 cannot be overstated.
It’s pretty much our last chance to get it right. If the world is unable to reach an agreement to limit global warming to 2 Degrees C or less, then we can look forward to a disproportionate risk of reaching tipping points and large-scale changes in our Earth’s system, like melting ice sheets, shifting rainfall patterns, even turning the Amazon rainforest (which produces a whopping 20 per cent of the world’s oxygen) into a seasonal forest where trees lose their leaves in the dry season. A future with global temperatures rising more than 2 Degrees C is not a pretty picture.
This, of course, leads me to my next wish, which is to no longer silence those who make it their business to fight climate change. Right now, Canada has legislation, namely the dreaded Bill C-51 brought in by the Harper government, making it entirely possible for someone like me to be considered a terrorist.
Yes, me, little ol’ me, a writer who has been known to pen pro-environment columns, a concerned citizen who supports the Idle No More movement, a Canadian who agrees with our new prime minister designate when he says, “...the environment and the economy...they go together.”
While I definitely agree we need to do something to fight the radicalization of youth here on home ground, not to mention other forms of fighting terrorism, I don’t think it should be at the price Canadians are being asked to pay.
Thanks to the new powers provided by Bill C-51 to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canadians are left less safe while having their rights and freedoms stomped on. Rights and freedoms, I would remind you, that were hard fought for in WWI and WWII.
It is, after all, one thing to go after a real terrorist, it’s another thing entirely to go after a journalist, a whistle-blower, a singer or songwriter, an artist, an environmental organization volunteer board member, or even a soccer mom who attends a pipeline protest because she cares about her kids’ future.
Yes, dear readers, it’s people like you and me who could be in big trouble under Canada’s current form of Bill C-51.
It needs to be repealed or revamped so that caring Canadians are not at risk when they show they care in a public sort of way. It’s like Bill C-51 is one big scary gillnet, the kind that not only catches the intended fish but also unsuspecting dolphins and everything else swimming by, too.
My next wish is for our federal government scientists to be able to speak up after years of being muzzled by the Harper government. Let them openly share their scientific findings with the public, the media, and all our representatives on Parliament Hill so we can all make evidence-based decisions, especially on matters involving climate change, the environment, and the economy.
Now for one more wish, and it’s a big one. Let’s bring in proportional representation for our next federal election and put an end to our horse-race style “first-past-the-post” electoral system. This was one of your election promises, Mr. Trudeau. I hope you will do your best to keep it.
Seeing my early Christmas wishes come true—now that’s in our best interest!
For more in your best interest, follow Sheelagh on Twitter @sheesays.
